Waterfront to get licenced by PAGCOR

Waterfront Philippines is set to get a provisional licence in Manila after a Court of Appeals ruled PAGCOR should grant it a gaming permit.

Philippines.- Waterfront Philippines Inc may soon be granted a provisional gaming licence to develop a casino hotel at Entertainment City, in Manila. The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld a previous ruling ordering the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) to issue the permit and favoured Waterfront’s project.

“Considering that no additional documents were further required to be submitted, Waterfront is deemed to have completed the requirements for its project application, which warranted the review and evaluation thereof,” said the Court of Appeals in its ruling. In addition, PAGCOR was slapped with two €1.6k fines, to be paid to Waterfront Philippines in moral damages and exemplary damages.

Waterfront Philippines’ casino resort plans had been announced ten years ago as the Grand Waterfront Hotel and Casino was presented. The project includes a hotel with 2,500 rooms and the first petition to develop it was filed in 2015, but PAGCOR ignored it.

“Our finding remains that there is no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Regional Trial Court in issuing the assailed decision and resolution,” the Court of Appeals added and stated: “Accordingly, this Court agrees that the same is already final and executory.”