Aruze has long been a player in the gambling industry but mainly behind the scenes before now. The Japanese manufacturer of gaming machines also owns almost a quarter of the shares of Wynn Resorts and now has decided to expand into casino operation. The company was granted a provisional license by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to build and operate a casino resort in Manila.

The company has already acquired the land for the project at a cost of $300 million but that’s just a small portion of the projected final costs. Estimates for the overall costs of the complex tops $1 billion. The tentative plans for the casino complex call for a 2,000 room hotel, a huge casino and even an enormous Ferris wheel. Aruze refers to the project as “the core element of our casino resort operation business” and hopes to be opening in early 2010.

The Aruze casino is just part of a Pagcor supported $15 billion dollar casino and entertainment complex planned over the next five years. The project, known as “Entertainment City” is expected to help the Philippines become a leader in Asian gaming and tourism destinations over the course of the next decade. Projections see the entire complex boosting tourism numbers from under 3 million annually to over 15 million annually once the project is complete.