MANILA – Billionaire Andrew Tan’s company, Megaworld, is ready to proceed with a casino project in Boracay following President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement that gambling will be allowed on the famous resort island.
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation chairman Andrea Domingo earlier confirmed to media that Duterte had given the go-signal for two casino projects in Boracay Island by Megaworld and Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group.
According to Tan, they are ready to push forward with Boracay Newcoast, a casino project previously shelved due to a casino ban on the island.
“We will proceed with our casino project in Boracay Newcoast. We already have several hotels there, and we are still building more,” he said in a statement.
His group is “hopeful that the tourism industry in this island will recover fast after the pandemic.”
The casino ban in Boracay came the same year Duterte ordered a six-month shutdown of the island to clean up the tourist hotspot.
In reversing the ban, Duterte said the government needed funds following the disruptions caused by the pandemic.(ABS-CBN News)
