NUSTAR Breaks Into Top 6 Largest Casinos in PH After Just Two Years

November 5, 2024 Philippines Casino & Hotel

NUSTAR has climbed to sixth place among the top Philippine casinos in terms of gross gaming revenue (GGR), an achievement it reached in just two years since it officially opened in May 2022.

The Gokongwei Group’s P30-billion investment in NUSTAR Resort and Casino has already made a major mark in the Philippine gaming and hospitality industry. It is quickly emerging as a strong competitor to the more established casino resorts in the country.

NUSTAR is part of a broader plan by the Gokongwei Group to diversify its portfolio. The resort marks the conglomerate’s first venture into the gaming and entertainment sector.

Trevor Hammond, NUSTAR’s Senior Vice President for Gaming and Integrated Resort (IR) Operations, expressed his pride in the resort’s rapid success. “We’re only two years old, and if you look at the comparison to the larger hotels in Clark, I know they’ve been operating for over 10 years; we’re hot on their heels. What they did in 10 years, we’ve done in two years,” Hammond was quoted as saying in a report published by the Philippine Star.

According to Inside Asian Gaming, based on 2023 data from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the largest casino in the Philippines is Solaire Resort, which earned a staggering P61 billion in GGR in 2023. Okada Manila follows with P44.5 billion, while Newport World Resorts and City of Dreams earned P34.3 billion and P31.7 billion, respectively. Hann Casino Resort in Clark earned P11.9 billion last year. By contrast, NUSTAR recorded P5.5 billion in GGR for 2023, which is notable given that construction work around the property continued throughout much of the year.

Despite these figures, Hammond remains confident about NUSTAR’s trajectory. The casino is already attracting both local and international visitors, with a growing number of foreign tourists from South Korea, who account for approximately 40% of NUSTAR’s international clientele. As the first integrated resort in the Visayas and Mindanao, NUSTAR is uniquely positioned to cater to high-end tourists from regions outside Metro Manila, and its strategic location in Cebu has contributed to its success in the past two years.

One of NUSTAR’s main draws is its expansive gaming area, which spans 21,000 square meters, offering a wide variety of table games, slot machines, and other entertainment options. The resort also boasts luxury accommodations, dining, and leisure facilities, including the Fili Hotel, which features 379 rooms.

But NUSTAR’s ambitions do not stop in Cebu. Hammond hinted at the possibility of expanding the resort’s footprint beyond the Visayas, with potential plans for a new property in Clark, Luzon. While the expansion is still in the early stages, he emphasized that the group is actively exploring opportunities for future growth. “I think if the opportunity presents itself, it would be wise to try to spread the gaming footprint across the Philippines,” Hammond explained. “With the success of NUSTAR, we can see that we’ve got the expertise and the foresight to be able to do something similar elsewhere. So, we’re constantly looking around for sure.”

The plans for expansion are in line with the growing gaming industry in Asia, and NUSTAR’s ability to generate solid revenue so quickly has demonstrated the market’s potential. As part of its long-term strategy, NUSTAR aims to open additional upscale hotels and services to keep pace with its expanding customer base.

Roel Constantino, the General Manager for Hotels at NUSTAR, revealed plans for a new ultra-luxury hotel to open by the end of 2024. This will be followed by the opening of the Grand Summit Hotel in 2027, which will bring the resort’s total number of hotel rooms to 958, making it the largest hotel complex in Cebu. This expansion further solidifies NUSTAR’s standing as a key player in the region’s hospitality market.