The country’s integrated resorts and casinos drive local tourism growth, creating a multiplier effect across various industries, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Ma. Vina Claudette Oca, PAGCOR Assistant Vice President for Gaming Licensing and Development Department, emphasized this during a panel discussion at the 1st Philippine Tourism and Hotel Investment Summit held over the weekend.
Oca, a panelist on the topic “Navigating Challenges and Opportunities for Casino Hotels in the Philippines,” noted that casinos are just a small component of the many attractions offered by integrated resorts in the country.
PAGCOR mandates all integrated resorts to offer more non-gaming attractions and resort facilities, including dining and shopping destinations. “In fact, they are only allowed to allocate 7.5% of their facility’s total floor area to gaming,” she said. “The rest of the floor area is allocated for non-gaming facilities such as hotel rooms, retail areas, dining, and other attractions.”
Ms. Oca added that integrated casinos currently employ over 20,000 Filipinos, providing livelihood opportunities to locals.
Meanwhile, close to 80% of PAGCOR’s revenues from regulated gaming are remitted to the government to fund significant socio-civic projects.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco also attended the 1st Philippine Tourism and Hotel Investment Summit as the keynote speaker. The event took place at the New World Makati Hotel on June 21.
The event was co-presented by the Department of Tourism’s attached agency, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, along with PAGCOR and the Tourism Promotions Board as government agency sponsors.
