Said firm’s VP Francis Hernando

Pagcor may consider pulling Okada’s licence

2013-05-22
Reading time 46 seg
(Philippines).- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) told Tiger Resorts, Leisure and Entertainment, controlled by Kazuo Okada, that it will “think seriously” of stripping the firm of its Manila casino licence if it is proven that bribes were paid to win the licence.

“If somebody proved that some bribes were paid in the past, then we would have to think very seriously about the continuation of the licence. We’ve also told Tiger [Resorts] that,” Pagcor’s vice president Francis Hernando told Business Daily yesterday.

The executive was in Macau to participate in the Global Gaming Expo Asia 2013. Hernando said however that even if Tiger kept its casino licence, the issue of the alleged subversion of the country’s constitution had to be resolved before the casino could open.

In February 2012, Okada was stripped of his directorship of Wynn Macau and his near 20 % stake in Wynn Resorts, amid allegations by Wynn of wrongdoing in his pursuit of a Manila gaming licence.

Since then, he has faced a criminal investigation in the US in relation to possible breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act over the Philippines scheme, and also criminal investigations in the Philippines.

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