A Tourism Business Visionary

A visionary entrepreneur from China, 45-year-old Lam Yin Lok (Jack Lam) is no stranger to challenge and success. Living both in Hong Kong and Singapore, he turns his bigger dreams into reality in the Philippines.
Born in Guangzhou in 1961, Mr. Lam witnessed how China struggled through political upheavals before finally emerging as one of the world's new economic powerhouses.

Earlier on his life, he already knew that both tourism and gaming will play a great role in the future. With this vision, he knew that great dreams and businesses could be built along this line.

For the last four decades, through hard work and determination, Mr. Lam pursued his vision.

In 1981, he entered the gaming business by organizing small junket operation in Macau and by bringing clients to Hotel Lisboa. Patiently, he developed the skills and expertise needed in the trade and eventually opened and operated his own VIP Rooms at Hotel Lisboa. While he continues his junket operation, other operators started to bring their clients to his VIP Rooms.

Having gained insight into how gaming, and tourism, if properly synergized, could bring more profitability, Mr. Lam invested in two small cruise ships in 1993 operating out of Hong Kong.

Hobbled by operational constraints and huge overhead expenses, he stepped back and divested his investments in the cruise ships in 1995, allowing him to rethink his business strategy. Mr Lam thought it best to refocus his energies in overseas venture. He began in 1994 with some business associates in the Philippines.
Like his earlier successful ventures in Macau, this junket operation brought guests to Subic Hotel from Hong Kong and other Asian countries. In 1998, the junket operation was moved to Silahis Grand Boulevard Hotel in Manila. In 1999, he was able to consolidate his operations and brought his business to Casino Filipino Heritage. He continues to operate at Heritage Hotel Casino until now.

While he divested his interests in cruise ships, Mr. Lam and his partners have seen the opportunity in offering gaming on board a ship. His company started leasing MV JIMEI in 1995 and in 1998, which they acquired later on and up to now operates as a floating casino.

While making his fortune in the gaming business in the Philippines, Mr. Lam is at the same time making his mark in the Philippine society. His contributions, or what others call corporate social responsibility, earned him recognition as a philanthropist and business leader.

In November 2003, he was given the accolade of "Honorable Son of Laoag City." And in May 2006, he was awarded The Distinguished University Medal Of Honor, the highest award given to an individual by the Angeles University Foundation.

JIMEI Group of Companies

Mr. Lam’s Jimei Group of Companies together with local partners, entered into the tourism business in the Philippines upon acquiring the Fort Ilocandia Resort and Hotel in 2000 in Laoag, a premier city in Ilocos Norte. The investment has proven to be a very significant move for JIMEI.

Like his previous investments, Mr. Lam and his team's well-managed business operations at Fort Ilocandia Resort & Hotel and Casino Filipino Laoag have expanded tremendously. The Hotel is enjoying consistently high occupancy and the Casino has gained more patrons. Forging ahead, Jimei Group is currently introducing more developments in Fort Ilocandia, including a new hotel wing, to accommodate the increasing number of tourists.

As the Jimei Group develop and grew its hotel and tourism business, it likewise continued its partnership with PAGCOR in marketing the Casino Filipinos in the Philippines. In August 2004, the Group began to market Casino Filipino Cebu internationally.

Then in the last quarter of 2004, the Jimei Group acquired majority interest in Fontana Development Corporation. Through this investment the group took over the management of the Fontana Casino which was established in Clark in 2000.

The dreams, and successes continue for Jimei Group, helped along by the increasingly favorable, and hospitable business climate in the Philippines.

Mr. Lam and his partners have now built the Jimei Group into becoming the largest private gaming operation in the Philippines.

A New Philippine Partner for Tourism and Gaming Promotions

Quietly but resolutely, a vision-imbued locator at Pampanga's Clark Special Economic Zone is embarking on a far-reaching program that promises to turn Philippine amusement and recreations facilities into highly profitable tourism locations of choice.

Organized just more than 2 years ago (in 2004), the Clark Resort Travel and Amusement Corporation (CRTA) has already succeeded in turning the once sleepy casino at the Fontana Leisure Parks into a five-star gaming gem that has fast become "the favorite on high-rolling gaming aficionados from Southeast Asia, and other discriminating fun- seekers in the Asia Pacific region."

"We are thrilled and inspired by the steadily-growing client-base of Fontana Casino," say CRTA Managing Director, Norman Ng. CRTA Chief Executive Officer Roger Westwood adds to the optimism of his partner, noting that, "thanks to the superb location and friendly business climate here, we have validated our blueprint for setting up similar gaming and recreations facilities in the coming years."

CRTA is a member of the Jimei Group of Companies, which, like other investor-locators at Clark enjoys preferential tax treatment, including being subject to the 5% Gross Income Tax rate in lieu of all other Philippine taxes.

Having been accredited in 2004 by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, CRTA took over the management of the Fontana Casino in 2005 and quickly renovated the site, including its restaurant and hotel-standard meeting facilities. Fontana Casino now boasts of a gaming area of approximately 3,150 square meters and employs more than 600 gaming and non-gaming personnel.

And a lot more is in store. CRTA says it will soon undertake a further redevelopment of Fontana Casino that will allow it to offer yet more exciting services, including highly-popular Bingo games.

The Jimei Group of Companies is also one of the major partners of PAGCOR in the marketing and promotion of ultra-modern Casino Filipinos in high tourism-traffic locations elsewhere in the Philippines. The Jimei Group is likewise involved in tourist oriented projects and businesses in Ilocos, Pampanga, and Cebu.                                                         « back