Poker Writer
Papua New Guinea could be set to open its first-ever land-based casino with the Pacific Pearl Casino project in the capital, Port Moresby. The casino is scheduled to open in late 2026, nearly 20 years after the country’s Gaming Control Act was enacted in 2007.
Casinos have been legally permitted in Papua New Guinea since then. However, nobody had actually gotten one off the ground. The prospective casino is located just a short distance away from the city center. There are still some final licensing approvals to get through before operations can officially begin. A Chinese development company backs the project.
The casino’s initial phase is modest in scale. But plans are already brewing for a second-stage expansion.
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Gaming Landscape of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is world-famous for being the country with the most languages in the world, with more than 840 across its 11 million population. The country is very rural with dense rainforests, many mountain ranges, and volcanic coastlines. It does not have very much tourism.
A casino in the capital city would look to cater to local Papua New Guineans who want to gamble. Gaming, slot machines, and racing are not new to the country since the legalization in 2007. But this would be the first time the locals would have a single spot for the proposed 100 gaming machines and 20 gaming tables.
Aside from locals, there is also a decent number of Australian and New Zealand expatriates who live in Port Moresby for the oil and gas industry. Operators hope that they will be attracted to a nearby casino.
Currently, affluent Papua New Guineans travel to nearby casinos in Australia or the Philippines to gamble. But this casino would provide a home casino to satisfy gambling desires without the need to travel.
Prime Minister James Marape said in 2024 that locals will be protected by regulations. Only citizens who have the minimum annual disposable income requirement would be eligible to participate. Entry would require membership.
Avenue For Tourism in Papua New Guinea
Tourism in Papua New Guinea is limited due to poor infrastructure, few paved roads, and frequent delays or cancellations of domestic flights. There are also high rates of violent crime and civil unrest. The far-flung, off-the-beaten-path destination also makes it expensive to get to in the first place.
But there is hope that the casino could increase tourism from nearby Asian countries. Prime Minister Marape had a positive view of the casino in 2024:
We’re observing a growing number of Asian visitors for whom gambling is a popular recreational activity. 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.
