According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the country's gaming regulator, the targeted clientele consists mainly of passengers of Genting Cruises.

President Rodrigo Duterte had imposed a ban on casinos in Boracay back in 2018, but he has had a change of heart and has decided to lift the ban because the funds brought in by gambling are important and of necessity for the government and for the further development of the island.

Even though the ban was lifted, Boracay residents, local businessmen and environmental activists are still sceptical of the casino and fear it would have a negative impact on the environment (both on land and sea).

Andrea Domingo, PAGCOR Chair, insists that fears regarding environmental issues are unfounded because it makes no sense for a company to make huge investments on the island “only to have garbage ruin the sea”. On top of that, she is confident the casino will not only bring in tourists but will be good for the resort island as well.

Domingo commented: “If you saw the development in these two areas, you would imagine that they are really maybe a hundred times better than the small little stalls that actually overcrowd the main island right after the beaches.”

According to Andrew Tan’s Alliance Group Inc and Macau’s Galaxy Group, setting up the Newcoast casino meant an investment of $500m or around P25bn.