DAVAO businessman Dennis Uy has dropped his investments to put up an integrated resort and casino in Clark Global City in Pampanga, as he wants to focus his attention on the company’s huge gaming and resort site in Mactan in Cebu.
In its disclosure, Clark Grand Leisure Corp., a subsidiary of listed firm PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., has received approval from the regulator for the voluntary suspension of its provisional gambling license for the facility, which never even got through design stage.
“CGLC sought for the voluntary suspension of its license due to some lingering uncertainties surrounding the casino gaming industry especially with more competition in the Clark, Pampanga location,” the company said in its disclosure.
“The voluntary suspension also allows PHR to ramp up and focus all efforts for the construction and development of its flagship integrated resort and casino project, the Emerald Bay Resort and Casino, located in Mactan, Cebu,” it said.
“The voluntary suspension shall be effective until further notice and its lifting shall be subject to the approval of the Pagcor [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.] board of directors,” it said.
Clark Freeport, a former US military base, is host to at least six casino operators, catering mainly to Korean and other Asian gamblers and most of these current locators are also expanding their operations. There are new ones that have already expressed their intention to put up a casino in Clark.
Pagcor issued its provisional license to Clark Grand Leisure Corp. in August 2018 after Uy promised to put up an integrated resort and casino by 2022 in hopes of rivaling the huge gaming sites in Entertainment City in Parañaque.
CGLC currently leases the site on which the Clark Resort will be located from Global Gateway Development Corp. The project is currently in the design phase, according to the company.
Emerald Bay, meanwhile, is the company’s P24.2-billion flagship integrated casino beach front resort in Mactan, Cebu.
It will be the first integrated casino resort in Mactan Island with access from the Cebu-Mactan International Airport. The initial phase of the casino is scheduled for completion by middle of 2022.
Upon completion of the first phase, Emerald Bay will feature 122 gaming tables for mass, premium mass and junkets; 600 electronic gaming machines and 270 hotel room bays.