Hann Casinos in the Philippines Plan additional $1B Investment

Hann Philippines, a casino resort operator in the Philippines, is planning to expand its casino and hotel offerings over the next five years expecting demand from South Korea and Macau.

Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Formerly known as Widus Group, Hann Philippines initially announced its plans to revamp the Widus Resort located in the Clark Freeport Zone in 2020 setting aside PHP20 billion ($365 million). Following the opening of the revamped Hann Casino Resort in December last year, the operator teamed with Swissotel for its first hotel amenity to bring a more European feel to the resort in March.

Daesik Han, chairman and chief executive officer of Hann Philippines, is planning to expand the offering at Hann Lux Lifestyle Resort in New Clark City and invest $1 billion more as the region is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Commenting on the current industry state, Han outlined that the demand at Clark Marriott hotel at Hann is back to normal since March, while the casino is already above pre-pandemic levels, expecting to double these levels in June due to the strong pent-up demand from the local market which accounts for 90% of the total.

Favorable Developments in South Korea and Macau

But it is not the local market only that is weighing in for the further investment as Han expects the property to benefit from the easing of flight restrictions from South Korea and the turmoil in Macau. The SAR is currently keeping casinos open but the surge in new coronavirus cases is keeping players away from the tables.

I strongly believe that the Philippines will get a chunk of this, especially the junket, or VIP market and that’s why I’m adding quite a significant number of tables there.

Daesik Han, CEO, Hann Philippines

Han stated this based on his expectations that the property can attract Macau high-end players initially and later on, high rollers from China, as he believes players will need to play somewhere and some of them will look for different jurisdictions, and while Singapore is a probable destination, there is heavy junket regulation there.

Convinced that the casino market in the Philippines is still in its early stages and “will take many, many years before it becomes mature,” Han is prepared to invest further in the resort which already benefited from the former US base’s military structure and improved facilities such as the new high-speed rail linking Clark city with the capital Manila, as well as the new airport terminal.

New plans include another golf course and new luxury hotels for the New Clark City property which already boasts a Banyan Tree, as well as a larger casino in Clark City.

On the digital front, Han is counting on receiving a POGO license and start offering Philippines online gaming.