Kaban Hotel and Casino, the first gaming property to open on Boracay Island in the Philippines, welcomes guests for a soft launch on September 16, with a full opening scheduled for October 11, 2026.
The property sits on Boracay Highway in Barangay Yapak, overlooking Punta Bunga Beach near the Mövenpick and Crimson resorts and spas, and forms part of a 23-hectare master-planned development at Station 0.
Golden TW Realty and Development Corporation, a Philippine hospitality, entertainment, and retail developer, built the property. The company is controlled by Zibin Liang, a Chinese national who obtained Philippine citizenship in 2021 and made his wealth in financial services, including a leadership role at Top Bank, a rural bank in the Philippines.
Golden TW is also constructing Boracay Central, a lifestyle shopping mall set to open in the fourth quarter of 2026, as part of the company’s plan to develop Station 0 into a commercial and leisure hub outside the island’s traditional beachfront strip.
Property and gaming details
The six-story complex houses 88 guest rooms, ranging from boutique accommodations to a presidential suite. Its gaming floor spans 2,000 square meters and is licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The floor includes 150 slot machines, 10 live-dealer table games, VIP gaming parlors, and electronic gaming stations. Entry is restricted to guests aged 21 and older, in line with PAGCOR regulations.
Kaban also offers seven specialty dining venues, led by Lamii All-Day Dining, along with a rooftop bar and lounge, the Sigla Spa, an outdoor pool deck, an indoor swimming pool, a VIP lounge, a children’s play area, a lobby café, and space for small conventions and gatherings.
“Kaban is more than a destination. It is our promise to bring world-class entertainment and heartfelt Filipino hospitality together, creating a place where culture, leisure, and celebration come together,” said Kevin Wong, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kaban.
The Kaban name derives from the Tagalog word for “treasure chest” and is paired with a five-card star emblem. About 40% of the property’s initial workforce comes from the surrounding province of Aklan.
Promotional events tied to the soft opening include prize giveaways valued in the millions of pesos, with a larger ceremony featuring cultural and entertainment programming planned for October to mark the property’s formal entry into Boracay’s hospitality market.
A reversal of prior policy
Kaban’s opening follows years of resistance to gaming development on Boracay under former President Rodrigo Duterte. In 2017, Galaxy Entertainment, one of Macau’s six major gaming operators, proposed a $550 million Las Vegas-style resort on the island targeting visitors from South Korea and China. Duterte rejected the bid, saying he received divine guidance that the local population opposed gambling on Boracay.
“You know the billionaires? They want to build casinos there. I did not allow it,” Duterte said at the time, referring to Galaxy billionaire Lui Che Woo.
Duterte subsequently closed Boracay for six months for an environmental cleanup, calling the island a “cesspool” that “smelled of sh*t.” The overhaul addressed the island’s sewage infrastructure and restored its beaches, but it also halted major foreign gaming investment for years.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Duterte’s successor, has kept a hardline position against offshore gaming operators (POGOs) while allowing more room for domestic casino development. Kaban is expected to be the first of several boutique casinos planned for Boracay in the coming years.