Bloomberry eyes more Chinese casino patrons

Billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.’s Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which operates the Solaire Resort & Casino at the Pagcor Entertainment City, wants to ramp up its marketing efforts in Greater China as part of a broader goal to widen international brand awareness to sustain earnings moving forward.

Bloomberry president and chief operating officer Thomas Arasi told reporters in an interview that marketing efforts have so far been paying off, citing improving figures from other tourism source markets like Thailand and Malaysia as well as South Korea and Japan.

Arasi declined to provide specifics, but he noted that foreign players contributed a large part of the company’s gaming revenues, which was up about three times to P13.5 billion in the first half of 2014 compared to the same period last year. Solaire opened its doors to the public in March last year.

“Our number one market of foreign outbound [visitors] coming to Solaire is already Greater China. And we are nowhere near our optimal level of marketing activity there,” Arasi said, crediting the Philippines’s strategic geographic location.

While noting that the country’s transport infrastructure could be improved, Arasi noted that Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport enjoys relatively “good air service” due to the variety of international carriers flying here.

Advertising and promotions form a key part of the company’s expenses and costs, which rose 55 percent to P8.48 billion in the first half of 2014, its latest financial report showed. Bloomberry posted a profit of P2.3 billion during the period, a turnaround from a P1.03 billion loss in the comparable period in 2013.

In a bid to diversify its services and revenue, Arasi said Solaire would open by the “end of November” its Phase 1A expansion program, which will add hotel rooms, gaming areas, more retail shops and a 1,800-seat theater.