Cristino Naguiat Jr., CEO of Philippine corporation Pagcor

“We offer a complete package that will be complemented without problem with Macau and Singapore”

2012-11-23
Reading time 1:28 min
(Argentina, exclusive Yogonet.com).- Cristino Naguiat Jr. was in charge of closing the first day of Ey!12 conference with the session “Philippines and its ‘Entertainment City’: Plans to expand gaming”. In his visit to Buenos Aires, the CEO of Pagcor explained what does Entertainment Cit consist of; a project with an estimated total cost of us$ 5 billion and whose first casino will open its doors next year.

Phillipine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is a government entity, 100% controlled by the government, which is under the direct supervisión of the Office of the President of the Republic, and which currently operates 13 casinos. At the end of the talk, Yogonet.com interviewed the head of the entity.

In which way do you compete with other big Asian gaming markets such as Macau and Singapore?
Our market is huge. More than competing, I think we all complement each other.

Which is the target of the players you aim to attract with Entertainment City?
In the first place, this project, which requires a big investment, is targeted to the local market. Then, we target the whole international market. We will count with operators that have or have managed properties in Macau, Malaysia, Australia and Las Vegas. We will offer a complete package that will be complemented without any problem with Macau and Singapore.

Which will be the gaming offer?
We will have everything: slots, table games, poker tournaments…There will be proposals for big players accustomed to very hig bets as well as for players with less money. The wonderful things about resorts is that they include options for everyone: from six-star hotels to more touristic ones.

What distinguishes Philippines from Macau and Singapore from the regulatory point of view? What advantages are brought to operators?
We have different regulatory policies. But what I can say is that in Philippuines we have much to offer: historical places, beautiful beaches, a strategic location…Gaming is just a small part of the whole offer.

After the construction of Entertainment City, Do you plan to organize an event dedicated to the gaming sector?
No. I think Macau is already doing it fine and it is not necessary to have another event so far.

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