Tycoon Manuel Villar Jr., considered the Philippines country’s richest man, is set to open his first casino next year, marking his foray into the gaming sector.
In a recent interview with The Philippine Star, Villar revealed that his group is on track to open the first of two planned integrated casino resorts as early as the mid-to-latter part of 2025, with a planned investment of roughly $1 billion.
“We can open mid to latter part of next year, but most likely the latter part. The structure is there already, we will just convert the mall,” Villar said.
The first casino will be located on the redeveloped 18,000-square-meter Vista Mall Global South situated along C5 Extension in Las Piñas. The mall is in close proximity to the Brittany Hotel Global South, formerly known as the four-star Mella Hotel Manila, which is also owned by the Villar Group.
“To me, the canvas is ready. How many tables, I don’t know yet,” Villar said, indicating that the details of the casino’s size and gaming offerings are still being finalized.
Villar has been involved in the country’s politics having held positions as congressman, speaker of the house of representatives, senator and senate president.
With a current net worth evaluated at $12.4 billion, Villar is the only Filipino in Forbes’ list of the top 200 billionaires in 2024. He chairs property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes, run by his son Manuel Paolo and owns VistaREIT, a real estate investment trust with an initial portfolio of 10 shopping malls and two office towers.
He also owns Golden MV Holdings (formerly Golden Bria), a developer of mass housing projects and memorial parks.
When asked about the viability of opening a new casino given the competition from the 100-hectare Entertainment City in Parañaque, Villar highlighted the strategic location of his planned casino, which is closer to the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 1. This, he believes, will provide easier access for visiting casino junket players.
Aside from the first casino, Villar also plans to open a second one at the heart of his most ambitious property development to date: Villar City.
This new 3,500-hectare mixed-use estate will span 15 cities in Metro Manila and Cavite, and will feature various anchor developments including an amusement park, an arena, schools, cultural centers, museums, hospitals, universities, churches, and nature parks.
The Villar Group’s casino license was obtained during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, and even before Duterte set a moratorium on the issuance of new casino licenses in 2018. The moratorium was lifted after three years, in 2021.
According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Philippine gaming industry’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) grew by 19.21 percent, to PHP194.743 billion ($3.3 billion), in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year.
