Okada casino boss unshaken by Duterte stand on gambling

MANILA - Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada will proceed with his $2.4-billion casino investment in the Philippines, undaunted by President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on online gambling, a top executive said Wednesday.

Okada Manila, one of four billion-dollar casinos on a glittering Manila Bay strip touted as the country’s answer to Las Vegas, will open as scheduled within the year, Okada Manila President Stephen Wolstenholme said.

“Manila can be top of mind 10-15 years down the road, not just Hong Kong, not just Singapore,” Wolstenholme said.

Wolstenholme: $2.4B investment for Okada Manila a sign of confidence in PH; Manila can be top of mind @ANCALERTS pic.twitter.com/EmmV6fM06f

— Michelle Krystle Ong (@michelle_d_ong) September 14, 2016

Wolstenholme said Okada Manila, which will generate 8,000 jobs, will also provide an opportunity for Filipinos working in casinos overseas to return to the country.

“Come back here, where [the economy is] growing seven percent though you will be stuck in traffic,” he said.

Since Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, regulators have refused to renew the license of gaming café operator PhilWeb Corp and halted operations of 53 electronic games and electronic bingo sites.