Willy Ocier forecasts significant growth for City of Dreams Manila

The prospects in 2016 for the gaming sector are positive, the Belle Corp. vice chairman said in an interview with the Philippine Star.

Ocier said, “I think we will be achieving very, very good growth. I’m not sure of the percentage but it will be a big jump (this year) because we are now fully open,” according to Asia Gaming Brief.

Ocier also said that due to Melco Crown’s management performance, the integrated resort and casino complex located on the Entertainment City gaming strip has been able to successfully control costs. He said, “Management has gotten their feet wet already. They know the business. So we’re very optimistic. Volume is ramping up. We’re not trying to catch up with Solaire.”

Melco Crown Philippines said in a filing that in the first quarter of 2016 casino revenues increased 108 percent from P1.95 billion last year to P4.05 billion. “The increase in total net operating revenues was primarily due to the ramp up of resort operations since the opening in December 2014.”

Meanwhile, on track to open as scheduled in December is Tiger Resorts Leisure And Entertainment’s $2.7 billion Manila Bay Resorts development, the third gaming facility of its kind in Entertainment City. One of four casinos being planned for Entertainment City, phase one of Manila Bay Resorts will include a 1,000-room hotel, 500 gaming tables, 3,000 slots and more than 861,000 square feet of retail space, as well as a nightclub and dancing water fountain.