- Title: Hong Kong casino owner plans to tighten security following Manila casino attack
- Date: 2nd June 2017
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (FILE - APRIL 2015) (REUTERS) CITY OF DREAMS MANILA CASINO RESORT CITY OF DREAMS MANILA SIGN
- Embargoed: 16th June 2017 05:57
- Keywords: Reorts World Manila gunman attack Hong Kong Lawrence Ho interview Philippines Manila casino
- Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: MANILA, PHILIPPINES/HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Various
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA0016JL45Z9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong billionaire and casino magnate Lawrence Ho, who owns the City of Dreams casino resort in Manila, said on Friday (June 2) he would beef up security at his Philippine complex after at least 36 people died in a botched robbery attempt at the nearby Resorts World Manila.
A gunman burst into the Resorts World complex, fired shots and set gaming tables alight in the early hours of Friday (June 2), sowing panic in a country already on high alert over a militant attack in the south. Around dawn, the body of the suspected gunman was found in a hotel room in the still-smoking complex, police said.
Ho's City of Dreams Manila, operated through his company Melco Resorts, is located a few kilometres from the Resorts World Manila. Ho declined to say how he would increase security but said his casinos already make use of surveillance and counter intelligence measures, metal detectors and security guards.
The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing casino hubs in Asia after Macau and Singapore. The government wants to build a Las Vegas style strip in the middle of the capital. But security is a major concern that deters big spending gamblers from China, who are wary of kidnapping and extortion incidents in the Philippines in recent years.
Despite the incident, Ho said there had been significant improvement in security and infrastructure and the Philippines remained an attractive place to be. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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