Lockdowns delay soft opening of Uy firm’s casino in Cebu

Businessman Dennis Uy-led integrated gaming resort developer PH Resorts Group Holdings, Inc. (PHR) has pushed back the soft opening of its flagship Emerald Bay Resort & Casino project in Mactan to March 2022, while completion of the first phase is now scheduled by the third quarter of next year.

Before the pandemic erupted, PHR had announced that the soft opening would happen by the end of this year while the first phase of development was to be completed by the second quarter of 2022.

“The reimposition of stricter quarantine measures in March earlier this year created more difficulties in the construction of Emerald Bay in terms of labor mobilization and materials delivery just as we were generating momentum,” PHR chief operating officer Jose Angel Sueiro said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.

With more of the population to be vaccinated in the coming months, the company expects a resumption of both international local flights, in turn revitalizing tourism in the Philippines and in the region.

“The timing of Emerald Bay’s first phase completion by the third quarter of next year will be ideal with the recovery already seen to be well underway by that time,” Sueiro said.

Upon completion of the first phase, Emerald Bay would be offering 122 gaming tables for mass, premium mass and junkets, 600 electronic gaming machines and 270 hotel rooms.

PHR is tapping the services of regional junket and VIP gaming service operator ASKI Japan Ltd. for this upcoming casino in Cebu. ASKI Japan provides junket and VIP gaming services for Japanese players within Asia. Its activities include junket operations in Paradise City, Paradise Casino Busan in Korea as well as in two integrated resorts in Entertainment City in the Philippines under the Friday Club brand.

“We are looking forward to being strong partners with PHR in Emerald Bay. We want to be ready and hit the ground running when the tourism and gaming industry recovers from the pandemic. Our players are always looking for new and fun gaming destinations and Emerald Bay fits the bill with its convenient location just a few minutes from the airport and with a long and beautiful beachfront feature,” ASKI Japan chief executive Nobuhiro Imigi said.