NUSTAR Resort & Casino opens on Philippines’ Cebu island

May 10, 2022 Philippines Casino & Hotel Industry Updates

The NUSTAR Resort & Casino opened at the weekend on Cebu island in the Philippines, becoming the first integrated resort for the popular holiday destination.

The resort will feature three hotel towers. Tower 1 will be ultra high-end, while Tower 2 will be five star and Tower 3 for the MICE market. It will also feature a commercial and retail center that will bring in luxury retail and food options, a first for Cebu.

According to the resort’s website, the casino floor area totals 21,000 square meters and will eventually feature 1,500 gaming machines and 500 tables. The opening had been originally planned for March, but was slightly delayed due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Casinos in the Philippines resumed operations at full capacity since the beginning of March, while the borders opened to international travelers in mid-February.

NUSTAR, which is owned by Universal Hotels & Resorts, will be the first upscale IR on Cebu, which is already home to about seven gaming facilities. Most are small VIP clubs, with the largest existing property being, Waterfront in Cebu City, which is run by the Philippines Amusement & Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

Cebu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. It was second to Manila in terms of direct foreign arrivals by air in 2019, accounting for 20 percent of total arrivals, while the city was one of the most visited in the Philippines, according to the Department of Tourism.

Visitor arrivals to the Philippines rose 15.2 percent to 8.2 million that year. Koreans made up the biggest segment of the market accounting for 1.9 million arrivals, although China was hot on its heels at 1.7 million and was the fastest growing, up 38.5 percent on the year.