New Casino Destinations Breaking Ground In The Philippines

The Philippines has become a top-tier casino destination with numerous luxurious resort gaming facilities and the tourist destination Entertainment City. Now the country is looking to increase tourism with new casino locations that are breaking ground and looking to open in the coming years.

The domestic casinos in the Philippines are on track to produce $4.5 billion in revenue in 2023. If the current trend continues, with the addition of more domestic casino destinations, that number is expected to grow over the years to come.

New Philippine Casino Locations Planned For 2023

There are several casino destinations in the works but the known locations looking to open in 2023 include the following:

  • Gold Coast Entertainment City – 18,000 sq meters near Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
  • Solaire Resort North – Located in Quezon City, 10 miles north of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The above casinos were first announced before the COVID pandemic uprooted development plans. Now both casinos are close to complete and looking to open to tourists and Philippine nationals in 2023. 

Who Regulates The Casino Industry In The Philippines?

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) regulates the domestic casino industryIn addition to overseeing the sector, PAGCOR owns several domestic casino locations. Recent calls to privatize the industry have PAGCOR looking to sell its owned casinos to the private sector, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

PAGCOR has regulated the casino industry since 1977, when it was first enacted by law. PAGCOR is still the sole regulator for most Philippine gambling sectors, including sportsbooks, casinos, and poker rooms. 

Are Online Casinos Legal In The Philippines?

Online casinos are legal in the Philippines but only from offshore sites regulated by a trusted gaming jurisdiction. Philippine legal online casinos offer the same games as traditional casinos but at a fraction of the regular buy-in because they operate online with random number generators (rng) instead of live dealers.

Typical online casino games include slots, table games (blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette, and various forms of poker), video poker, and live dealer games. Live dealer casino games are available from trusted online casinos via a live video feed; however, the buy-ins for live games are higher than other electronic (rng) games.