Kazuo Okada takes page out of Trump playbook, puts his name on Manila resort

Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada is taking a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook by changing the name of his new Philippines casino to Okada Manila.

On Tuesday, the Okada-controlled Tiger Resorts Leisure & Entertainment announced that its in-development $4b integrated resort in Manila’s Entertainment City gaming zone was ditching its working title of Manila Bay Resorts in favor of Okada Manila.

During Tuesday’s brand launch in Makati City, Tiger Resorts president Steve Wolstenholme said the company was “still keeping the name Tiger – that’s our holding company – but Okada Manila really exemplifies what we are.”

Wolstenholme confirmed that Okada Manila remained on track for a soft opening of its first phase this November but played coy when asked to pin down how soon the second phase – which consists of more retail space, another hotel and more “family-oriented” offerings – would open to the public, saying only that the goal remains to open all phases “in the next five years.”