MANILA: The Philippines can overtake Singapore as soon as next year as Asia’s second-largest gambling destination after Macau, the head of Manila’s gaming agency said, with new integrated resorts seen boosting visitors and offsetting a decline in Chinese tourist arrivals.
A new integrated resort by billionaire Enrique Razon’s Bloombery Resorts Corp. will open in Manila later this year, while up to eight more casino projects are being planned, Alejandro Tengco (pic), chairman and chief executive officer of state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, or Pagcor, said in an interview at his office on Tuesday (March 12). The regulator also plans to sell state-run casinos by no later than early 2026, he said.
