By the end of the year, the Philippine market will be enriched with another gaming facility. The new Grand Westside Hotel will be placed within the borders of Westside City in the popular Entertainment City in Manila.
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts luxury hotel:
The hotel will be built by the Megaworld Corp, famous for its Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, which is a part of Alliance Global Group Inc, the Philippine conglomerate. The company stated on Monday, July 24th, that the facilities in the hotel will be launched “before the end of the year”.
The hotel will consist of 1,530 rooms, and it will be placed on the 31-hectare (76.6 acres) property in Westside City, in the Philippines’ capital.
This 19-storey hotel will have two towers. The guests will be able to enjoy the amenities of the first one in a few months, while the second will be opened by the next year, as the company announced in its press release.
Besides the hotel rooms, the building will have a retail space on two levels, as well as the commercial space, which will be placed on 1.995 square meters, or 21.474 square feet of floor area.
On the fifth floor, the guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the open space: the pool area with a magnificent view of Manila Bay, as well as the children’s pool, gazebo, seating area, and beautiful Zen garden.
Inside, the company will prepare four function rooms, as well as the gym and massage rooms. For the complete experience, there will be four dining outlets. For VIP guests, there will be something special: a fantastic Executive Lounge.
Megaworld Hotels & Resorts already owns one hotel in the renowned Westside City township, Kingsford Hotel Manila. The company’s first hotel in this area was opened in 2021, and currently, it consists of 529 rooms.
However, the company’s second hotel complex is expected to be the biggest in the country. Cleofe Albiso, a Managing Director of Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, said: “Once it opens, Grand Westside Hotel will become the biggest hotel property in our portfolio and in the entire country to date. It will be just a short drive away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) via the NAIA Expressway (NAIAX), and promises to delight guests with wonderful views of the world-famous Manila Bay sunset as well as the skylines of Makati, Manila and Taguig City.”
New casino hotel complex:
The new property will also feature a casino hotel complex. Suntrust Resort Holdings Inc, LET’s subsidiary, is the Philippine-based company that stands behind the complex. The complex will consist of 460 hotel rooms, all of which will be awarded five stars, and the whole construction will cost about US $1 billion. But the main star of the complex will be a gaming venue which will be able to welcome guests from both the “mass and VIP markets.”
The casino and hotel will be opened next year.
Westside City is located on 31 hectares of land in Parañaque.
The legal status of online casinos in India is complex and varies by state. While there is no federal law that explicitly addresses online gambling, the legality depends on state regulations and the type of gambling involved.
Key Points:
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No National Law: India does not have a specific national law regulating online casinos. However, the Public Gambling Act of 1867 prohibits operating physical casinos and gambling houses, but it doesn't cover online platforms, leaving a legal grey area for online gambling.
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State-Specific Laws: Some Indian states, like Goa, Sikkim, and Daman, have legalized land-based casinos, and others, such as Sikkim, have also licensed online gambling. Many states have banned gambling altogether, including online gambling.
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Online Sports Betting: Betting on sports, particularly cricket, is very popular in India. However, it's only explicitly legal in some states like Sikkim and Nagaland, which have laws permitting online gaming and betting.
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Legal Gray Area: Many international online casinos accept Indian players and operate legally under licenses from offshore jurisdictions (like Curacao or the UK Gambling Commission). As long as players are gambling on licensed platforms, the risk is minimal, but local authorities may still choose to regulate or restrict online gambling.
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Cryptocurrency: Some Indian players prefer using cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) for online gambling, as it provides a layer of anonymity and security.
While online casinos aren't explicitly legal across all of India, many international casinos accept Indian players, and online gambling continues to grow in popularity. Players should ensure they use licensed platforms and understand local laws before engaging in online gaming.
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