Okada Manila foot traffic up 355% between January and September

TRLEI expects business at Okada Manila to continue to improve.

The Philippines.- Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI) has reported that Okada Manila saw a 355 per cent increase in foot traffic for the first nine months of 2022. It said it expects that to continue improving due to the growing demand for gaming and entertainment after the easing of Covid-19 countermeasures.

Byron Yip, TRLEI president, told the Manila Bulletin: “We at Okada Manila are seeing green shoots of recovery from when the pandemic struck the Philippines in 2020. “Through the collaboration of our employees and leaders, Okada Manila was able to record more than two folds growth in our monthly foot traffic.”

Hans Van Der Sande, chief financial officer and treasurer of TRLEI, said the Philippines has attracted tourists from South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries, despite restrictions on resuming junkets from China. He noted that November, December and January are always the best months.

The integrated resort has expanded its retail operations, remodelled some restaurants and opened a new VIP club. Okada Manila also opened up more event spaces, the executive lounge and glass ballroom, for live events, and reopened the iconic colourful water fountain.

Yip added: “It is our goal to be the premier integrated resort not just in the Philippines, but in Asia. We’re looking forward to working with all our stakeholders towards a stronger end-of-year as we welcome 2023.”

In July, the casino reported gross gaming revenue of PHP8.30bn (US$149.3m) for Q2, up 37.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter from PHP6.02bn. Tiger Resort Asia Limited (TRA) retook control of Okada Manila’s casino resort in September after Okada took control of the venue at the end of May.

Kazuo Okada’s team asked the Court of Appeals to prevent PAGCOR and TRAL from “taking any action to overturn the board appointed by Kazuo Okada or to ‘undermine’ the status quo order previously issued by the Supreme Court.”

However, the Court of Appeal’s ruling stated: “Pagcor and TRAL, their agents, representatives and all persons acting on their behalf are ordered to immediately cease and desist from performing any and all acts that interfere with, impede and obstruct the proceedings before us, such as but not limited to allowing TRAL and/or its representatives to inspect the corporate records of TRLEI.”