The Philippine Chamber of Commerce has warned against dragging its country into what it describes as the “private corporate squabble” between Steve Wynn and Kazuo Okada.

Miguel Varela Miguel Varela

Wynn Resorts and Wynn Macau have removed Okada, who owns Universal Entertainment and Aruze USA, from their boards, having made “troubling discoveries” during a year-long investigation into his conduct.

These discoveries relate to payments and gifts allegedly made to gaming regulators within the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation. Despite Wynn Resorts’ opposition, Okada had applied for and was granted a licence to develop a casino in PAGCOR’s Entertainment City complex to be built in Manila.

Both Okada and PAGCOR have denied any wrongdoing.

Wading into the debate, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce denounced the “irresponsible and unwarranted dragging of the Philippine government” into the affair.

“The sweeping characterisation of the Philippines as a corrupt nation on the sole basis of the allegation that a gaming licence was granted to Mr Kazuo Okada for a period of 25 years for the Entertainment City project in exchange for favours supposedly received by PAGCOR officials, does not depict a fair and accurate picture of the country and the way the PAGCOR project was actually processed,” the organisation said.

Ongoing reforms to ensure greater transparency and accountability, along with positive feedback from various credit rating agencies, demonstrate that the Philippines is not a corrupt nation, it said.

PCCI president Miguel Varela appealed to the parties involved to “exercise utmost prudence, caution and good judgment in making further damaging statements, as all these negatively impact on the Philippine nation in general and the gaming industry in particular.”