HOTEL-CASINOS are expected to drive domestic tourism, drawing visitors to their non-gaming offerings as well, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said on Monday.
Integrated resorts — the industry euphemism for hotels with in-house casinos — “are only allowed to allocate 7.5% of their total floor area to gaming,” PAGCOR Assistant Vice-President for Gaming Licensing and Development Ma. Vina Claudette Oca said at a forum over the weekend.
“The rest of the floor area is allocated for non-gaming facilities such as hotel rooms, retail, dining and other attractions.”
PAGCOR remits the equivalent of over a quarter of its revenue from regulated gaming to the National Government to support various socio-civic projects, Ms. Oca said.
Around 20,000 workers are employed in integrated resorts, she added, noting the industry’s job-generating potential.
Earlier this month, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco said the regulator is looking to approve two licenses for integrated resorts in the next four years.
PAGCOR aims to generate P336.38 billion worth of gross gaming revenue this year as new integrated resorts open. In 2023, it generated P285.27 billion.
Last year, integrated resorts were the regulator’s biggest source of revenue, providing P207.48 billion, followed by electronic games with P58.16 billion. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
