Papua New Guinea looks set to open its first casino, almost 20 years after the Gaming Control Act 2007 established a formal legal framework for the industry.
Pacific Pearl, a boutique property located on the water’s edge just a few minutes from the Port Moresby city center in the Paga Hill Special Economic Zone, this week began advertising for staff amid hopes that the casino could open later this year, pending licensing.
The project counts a Chinese development company in Paga Hill as its main investor, with Fortuna Investments a co-investor and the casino’s management firm.
Fortuna, which counts Tim Shepherd as its Senior Partner, was linked to the opening of Tiger Palace in southern Nepal and runs gaming at Jade Club in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was also involved in liquidating the assets of the shuttered Imperial Palace resort in Saipan.
Kevin Wilcocks, who previously worked with Fortuna at Tiger Palace and more recently with Big Daddy casinos in Goa, India, is Pacific Pearl’s General Manager and is now based in Port Moresby.
“We’re working to open,” Shepherd tells Inside Asian Gaming. “[Our partners] have been in PNG for many years now and they are confident they’ll get the license. Part of it is we have to stock the casino with gaming products and gaming people, but when we invite the government to take a look, they’ll see we’re ready to go.”
Once fully operational, Pacific Pearl will offer a restaurant, around 100 gaming machines and 20 gaming tables, including a handful of VIP rooms that will predominantly serve the city’s extensive expat Chinese community.
According to Shepherd, although expats will comprise a decent share of Pacific Pearl’s customer base, there is also a solid locals market – as evidenced by the estimated 5,000 slot machines that can be found at small local venues nationwide.
“Gaming in PNG, slot machines in particular as well as racing, it’s not a new thing for the locals,” Shepherd explains. “I’m not scared that the locals won’t play, I think they absolutely will.
“There is also a large Australian and New Zealand expatriate population there for oil and gas, and I’m sure they will be interested. And then there is a big population of Chinese that I know have already been eying off our VIP rooms. I’ve no doubt they will be good customers.”
“So, there are actually three distinct markets, all of them pretty interesting.”
In a 2024 statement that coincided with commencement of the casino’s construction, PNG’s Prime Minister, James Marape, said the government’s primary focus in launching casino gaming was “attracting international visitors and residents.”
“We’re observing a growing number of Asian visitors for whom gambling is a popular recreational activity,” Marape said. “This project is tailored to accommodate these gambling tourists and other international patrons. While there are concerns about unregulated casino-like gambling occurring in some private settings, this licensed casino can serve as a legitimate venue.”
The Prime Minister added that the introduction of a licensed casino was designed to curb overseas gambling expenditures by affluent Papua New Guineans who currently travel to destinations like Cairns and Brisbane in Australia’s north and Singapore and Manila in Asia.
For Shepherd, the potential opening of Pacific Pearl this year comes at the perfect time to capitalize on extensive development taking place across parts of Port Moresby and the establishment of the new PNG Chiefs NRL franchise, which in 2028 will become the NRL’s 19th team.
PNG is the only country in the world that counts rugby league as its national sport.
“We’re not a big casino – we’re not overstretching ourselves in Phase 1 – but what I want to work on now is Phase 2 which would be considerably bigger, like five times bigger,” Shepherd reveals.
“And I think that’s where the future is for this development, to create a NagaWorld-style tourist destination out of it. Phase 1 is not going to get people on planes to look at it but the Chiefs coming in creates a unique opportunity.
“The other idea we’ve been trying to get traction with is to build a nice Leagues Club not far from the casino that would provide a real community-based element.
“That’s the long-term goal, but for now we are ready to open and hopefully we can confirm some good news around that soon.”
IAG understands that another group is looking to trial casino gaming via a floating vessel off the PNG coast, although this venture remains some way from becoming reality.
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