“If [corrupt] officials gamble in Macau, they will be discovered,” warned Li Gang, mainland China’s representative to the world’s gambling capital. Such admonitions may be music to the ears of Philippine casino operators as they seek to lure regional high rollers to Manila’s ascendant gaming zone.

Macapagal Boulevard may not yet have the cachet of the Las Vegas Strip. But the area centred on Entertainment City — an 8 sq km gambling district established on reclaimed land on Manila Bay — has robust ambitions to become one of Asia’s top gaming and entertainment centres, according to Asean Confidential, a research service at the Financial Times.

Its star attraction is the $1bn City of Dreams complex, owned by Melco Crown Entertainment and local conglomerate SM Group, which opened its doors in January. Next door is the $1.2bn Solaire, a bustling complex owned by Bloomberry Resorts. Nearby, next to Manila airport stands Resorts World Manila, run by Travellers International.