Packer looks to Philippines casino

**timrev** · June 27th, 2012 03:09 PM

Packer looks to Philippines casino - The West Australian
AAP, The West Australian June 27, 2012, 11:30 am

Packer looks to Philippines casino

Billionaire James Packer could be looking towards establishing a casino in the Philippines as part of a desire to create a Pan-Asian gambling empire.

Fairfax Media reported Mr Packer, who is chairman of casinos operator Crown, and Lawrence Ho, who is co-chairman of Hong Kong-listed Melco Crown Entertainment, had entered a joint venture with Filipino retail and property tycoon Henry Sy, Jr. to build a $1 billion-plus casino and resort in Manila.

Crown holds a stake of 33 per cent in Melco Crown Entertainment, which operates casinos and resorts in Macau.

A Crown spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the media report.

Fat Prophets gaming analyst Greg Fraser said it was highly likely that Mr Packer would be looking towards the Philippines, which had been touted for some years as another Asian gaming destination open to development, along with Singapore and, potentially, Japan.

Mr Fraser said the Philippines, which was creating new gambling licences, could become a major gambling destination similar to Macau.

"When you stand back from what he (Mr Packer) is doing, you can see that he is creating a Pan-Asia gambling network where he'll have the ability to cycle his high-value clients through a variety of destinations, and from Australia through the Philippines to Macau," Mr Fraser said.

The only obvious large destination that was not on Mr Packer's map was Singapore, where the gambling licences were already held by other groups.

Mr Fraser said the original intention of Crown's joint venture with Lawrence Ho in Macau was to initially invest in Macau and then to look to further ventures throughout Asia.

This did not mean that Crown would pay any less attention to its casinos in Australia or the potential to expand operations in Australia.

"I think the opposite is likely to happen," Mr Fraser said.

"If the report (in relation to the Philippines) is true, the Philippines joint venture will be done and funded through the Melco Crown vehicle, not through Crown."

SM group in talks with Melco for $1-B casino in Manila
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/...o-crown-casino

**chua_riwap** · June 27th, 2012 03:19 PM

ganda ng apelyido ni james....parang bastos.

kung sm partner, malamang malapit sa moa yung casino.

**timrev** · June 27th, 2012 03:25 PM

malamang sa pagcor city din yun sa tabi ng belle grande manila bay...malapit na nga din sa moa...magiging 5 big casino kung sakali meron sa paranaque...
pang casino nga apelyido hehehe

**pop3corn** · June 27th, 2012 03:50 PM

mali naman kase ang banat ng mga casinos dito eh, hiwa-hiwalay. dapat may isang lugar lang like for example LV strip. yun nga sa Macao layo din ng pagitan ng casinos in between two islands. kasi para something to look forward to pag weekends, tapos pagdating parada na lang tsikot, tapos shuttle shuttle na lang tulad ng sa macau and monorails sa LV.

and also, this will not infuriate the Catholic church coz casinos are gambling.

alam naman natin na ang casinos are not only for gamblings, yun mga designs, shows, conferences, trade shows na ginaganap sa mga casino cities yun ang mas masarap i-look forward. Filipinos are not gamblers bec. we're Catholic pero maganda na din yun may casino tayo for non-Catholic foreigners to travel here, para mag-up ang tourism and then tayo mga locals pasyal pasyal lang, hotel hopping

in Vegas last year, I made sure na 5 days 4 nights ako dun, and grabeh kulang pa din ang oras ko. Las Vegas houses two biggest Premium Outlets in the West Coast, dun nga ako nakabili ng levi's 501 na tig P800 and bass and hush puppies na less than P1.2K lang. ang sarap talaga sa mga lugar na fusion na iba't ibang races, tourists and cultures, sobrang saya

**chua_riwap** · June 27th, 2012 04:23 PM

sarap ng buhay ni OB.....panay ang travel.

**timrev** · June 27th, 2012 04:39 PM

ayan na OB isang bagsakan na ang mga casino sa pagcor city
my plano din monorail dun hangan makati at flyover link dun
yun lang 5yrs in the making entertaiment city sa paranaque
tama si OB di lang pasugalan ang casino...makalipat na nga ang work nun

dumadami ang investors sa pinas a