Dowinn Group fails Philippine junket room reopening deadline

Dowinn Group, targeting Korea, had not reopened its Philippine junket rooms as of Monday evening, despite pledging last week to resume operations by 2 p.m. following what it termed an “emergency temporary cease of operation.”.

Representatives from the operator informed Inside Asian Gaming that they had not observed any signs of Dowinn resuming operations and had received no indication of when this might occur. Despite announcing plans to reopen on Monday, IAG reports that no staff were instructed to return to work this week.

As initially reported by Inside Asian Gaming, Dowinn halted all casino and VIP Club activities last week, withdrawing its managers. Sources indicated that many managers and cage staff had departed the country, with liquidity completely depleted.

A statement from unnamed Dowinn Group representatives later described the closure as a temporary measure to safeguard customer and shareholder interests amidst what it referred to as “unjust external attacks and slander.”.

Local media outlet The Manila Times reported on Monday that these alleged attacks and slander were linked to recent claims by a Korean media outlet regarding Dowinn’s purported interest in purchasing up to 500 slot machines from KL Saberi, the slot machine arm of Kangwon Land, for use at its Manila Heritage Hotel casino. The report indicated that Dowinn’s legal representative, Ignacio Manapil, refuted these claims, stating the company had instead acquired machines from Australia. Manapil denied assertions that the junket group was bankrupt but confirmed attempts by Korean agents to withdraw funds from Dowinn’s accounts following reports of a significant deposit mishap amounting to KRW130 billion (US$94 million).

Previously, Dowinn operated the casino at the Manila Heritage Hotel and VIP rooms at Okada Manila, Solaire Resort Entertainment City, City of Dreams Manila, D’Heights Resort and Casino, and Royce Hotel and Casino.

Original Story by: IAG