Okada Manila commences casino operations

Saturday 31st of December 2016

Okada Manila officially commenced its casino operations on December 30, after securing a provisional casino license from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, local media reports.

The $2.4 billion casino resort, developed by a subsidiary of Universal Entertainment, held a soft opening on December 21. A grand opening is scheduled for February 2017.

“Okada Manila will continue its preview period by officially launching casino operations on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m, local time. This follows the approval and issuance of a notice to commence casino operations from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. on Dec. 21,” Okada Manila said in a statement last Thursday.

“As Okada Manila’s preview period continues, the opening of the hotel and additional restaurants will be announced in the coming weeks with the grand opening taking place end of February 2017,” it added.

The first phase of the project includes a casino floor, two hotel wings, nightclub and beach club, retail area, restaurants and an iconic fountain.

In related news, casino mogul Kazuo Okada on Wednesday said he hoped to make Philippines “the next Hawaii”, saying he was exploring the possibility of operating resorts on the Philippine islands of Palawan and Boracay.

“I would like to make the Philippines the next Hawaii, given that there are a lot of great beaches here,” he told local media.

“China, Beijing, the air is polluted and I feel there are people [there] who would want to get away, go to a fresh place and I think the Philippines would be one of the best tourist spots for everybody,” he said.

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