CLAIMS TO FAME
- Trusted confidante of Bloomberry owner Enrique Razon Jr
Bloomberry’s Solaire Resort and Casino continues to set and maintain standards for Philippine integrated casinos and, indeed, it was the first resort that showed the Philippines will compete with any market in terms of luxury and sophistication.
That may seem a pat statement, but it was just a decade ago when the Macau juggernaut would have looked down its nose at its neighbour. Today, the shoe may not be on the other foot; but it is fair to say that both feet have pretty classy footwear.
Thomas Arasi has been with Bloomberry for a decade, arriving soon after the resort opened in 2013. His unusually long executive’s tenure for a mid-tier casino company by global standards is testament to his commitment to the project, its steady growth and the insight of Bloomberry owner Enrique Razon Jr.
Arasi, founding CEO of crucible property Marina Bay Sands, has seen out a sequel baptism of fire with the COVID pandemic, with Bloomberry’s most recent financial statement reporting a 165% increase in net profit year-on-year for the first half of 2023. GGR was up 47% over the same period.
After years of stress and stress testing, Arasi and Solaire are set to blossom anew with the second quarter 2024 opening of Solaire Resort North in Quezon City, an EDSA expressway-side property with an enormous catchment area of customers leery of the slow journey to Entertainment City.
After that, the company’s Cavite casino resort is scheduled to start development. Auspiciously enough, it will be located at the southern entrance to Manila Bay, fully visible to air passengers on approach to Manila’s airport.
For the full list of 2023 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
