Melco Crown seeks Pagcor okay to open City of Dreams Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The second of four resort-casinos in Entertainment City is set to open this weekend.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, the local unit of Macau-based casino giant Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. said it has secured approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) to start operations of its new integrated casino resort.

 “Melco received today the notice to commence casino operations from Pagcor for City of Dreams Manila,” the casino operator said yesterday.

City of Dreams Manila will start operations on Sunday, with a grand opening planned before Chinese New Year in 2015.

The $1.3-billion integrated entertainment resort along Manila Bay will mark the formal entry of Melco Crown Entertainment into the fast-growing and dynamic tourism industry in the Philippines.

City of Dreams Manila is being developed and will be operated by Melco Crown Philippines in partnership with Sy-led Belle Corp. and Premium Leisure and Amusement Inc.

City of Dreams Manila will offer 365 gaming tables, 1,680 slot machines and 1,680 electronic table games, along with 981 hotel rooms and a flurry of retail stores and restaurants.

As the second integrated casino to open in Pagcor’s Entertainment City, City of Dreams Manila will join Solaire Resort & Casino project of Bloomberry Resorts Corp.

The two other development that will complete Entertainment City are Manila Bay Resorts of Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada and Bayshore City Resorts World of property tycoon Andrew Tan and Malaysia’s Genting Group.