Philippines to Allow Opening of a New Casino in Boracay

The Philippine island destination of Boracay is set to welcome its first operational casino with the opening of Kaban Hotel and Casino Boracay. Opening to guests on September 16, the launch marks the arrival of the island’s first hotel-casino destination, ahead of an official grand opening planned for October. Casino Boracay to Start Welcoming Guests Before Official Grand Opening Located along Boracay Highway in the island’s northwestern area, Kaban offers views of Punta Bunga Beach and is situated near the Mövenpick and Crimson five-star resorts and spas. The property forms part of a larger 23-hectare master-planned development by Philippines-based Golden TW Realty and Development Corp. The company is a hospitality, entertainment, and retail developer controlled by Zibin Liang. A Chinese national who obtained Philippine citizenship in 2021, Liang built his wealth in the financial services industry and through his leadership role at Top Bank, a rural bank in the Philippines. Designed as a six-storey complex, Kaban brings together accommodation, gaming, and dining facilities, positioning the property as a key development in Boracay’s growing inland commercial district. The complex offers 88 guest rooms, ranging from boutique accommodations to a presidential suite. Its gaming floor spans 2,000 square meters (about 21,500 square feet) and is licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. It offers various table games, slot machines, and electronic gaming stations. Kaban president and CEO Kevin Wong said the property is intended to be more than a destination, combining world-class entertainment with Filipino hospitality while bringing together culture, leisure, and celebration. The development forms part of Golden TW’s long-term vision to transform Station 0 into a commercial and leisure hub beyond Boracay’s traditional beachfront strip. The developer is also building Boracay Central, a lifestyle shopping mall slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2026. Local employment is another component of the project, with the company reporting that approximately 40% of Kaban’s initial workforce comes from the surrounding province of Aklan. Casino Development Comes at the Tail End of Anti-Casino Policies The opening marks a significant milestone for an island previously targeted for casino development by Galaxy Entertainment, one of Macau’s six major gaming operators. In 2017, Galaxy proposed a $550 million Las Vegas-style resort to attract international visitors, particularly from South Korea and China. However, the proposal was ultimately rejected by then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte said he had received divine guidance after speaking with God, who he claimed told him that residents opposed gambling on Boracay, leading him to halt the project. But a couple of years later, that began to change, as the Philippine government lifted the moratorium on new casino construction in 2021, paving the way for the eventual opening of Kaban Hotel and Casino Boracay. Still, Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has maintained a firm position against offshore gaming operations, despite the government’s decisions to loosen restrictions.