Panelo says Duterte may lift moratorium on new casinos

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte may order the lifting of the moratorium on new casinos in the Philippines, Malacañang said Thursday.

During his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, Duterte lauded Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairperson Andrea Domingo for collecting P16-billion revenue as of July 2019. He also urged Domingo to encourage more gaming.

But the Philippine gaming regulator imposed a moratorium on new casino operations in January 2018 after Duterte raised concerns about their “proliferation,” the ongoing lucrative boom in the local industry notwithstanding.

READ: Pagcor shuts doors on new casino applicants after Duterte orders moratorium

Asked if Duterte is now open to lifting the moratorium, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said: “That would be the logical consequence of what he said.”

At present, there are four Pagcor-approved casino licenses for firms located in the regulator’s Entertainment City complex in Parañaque City— Solaire Resort and Casino, City of Dreams Manila, Okada Manila and Resorts World Manila Casino. /jpv