CLAIMS TO FAME
- Driving force behind Clark Freeport Zone’s emergence as a world-class gaming destination
Located around two hours’ drive from central Manila, the Clark Freeport Zone has emerged as a rising star of the Asian gaming industry in recent years where around half a dozen casino resorts have sprung to life.
The man those operators largely have to thank for that is Dae Sik Han, a Korean-born entrepreneur who had zero gaming experience when he first visited Clark back in 2005. However, recognizing the tourism potential of the region on the back of an international-sized airport that once served as the Philippines base of the US Air Force, he quickly invested in a hotel and went in search of a casino license.
Fast forward almost 20 years and Han’s hugely successful Hann Casino Resort has driven Clark’s development into a thriving tourism destination.
Formerly known as Widus, the expanded Hann Casino Resort stands as clear market leader in Clark, driven by a gaming floor whose 176 tables and 980 slot machines are just about full most nights of the week. A new hotel and expanded gaming space is in the works.
More ambitious is a separate project called Hann Reserve, located about 20 minutes away by car, on 450 hectares of land in New Clark City. The project is described as an “integrated leisure and lifestyle development”, not only providing a luxury experience for local and international tourists but adding a mixed-use commercial center, retail, residences, an international school, a casino and three 18-hole golf courses alongside PGA-accredited player development facilities.
A listing on the Hong Kong Exchange has been touted for the near future, highlighting the company’s upward trajectory.
For the full list of 2024 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
