DigiPlus Interactive Corp, a Philippine holding company with investment in gaming and leisure businesses, including digital bingo and a digital sportsbook platform, says its operations will not be affected by the announced ban on offshore online gaming operators in the country.
On Monday, during his State of the Nation Address, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced a ban on the formerly-named Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
The head of state instructed the nation’s gaming regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), to “wind down and cease the operations” of POGOs – now known as “Internet Gaming Licensees” (IGLs) – “by the end of the year”.
On Tuesday, Pagcor said in comments to GGRAsia that the decision to ban offshore gaming operators would “have a minimal impact on the Philippine gaming industry since the segment accounts for less than 5 percent of [aggregate] GGR [gross gaming revenue].”
“DigiPlus is here to stay as it reassures its stakeholders that the company is unaffected by the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to ban all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)”, stated the company in a Tuesday written announcement.
“DigiPlus is not a POGO or an Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) as defined under Philippine laws,” said DigiPlus president, Andy Tsui, quoted in the press release.
The firm said it “caters to customers based in the Philippines” and is required to have “physical branches around the country”.
According to the announcement, as a local gaming operator, DigiPlus was required to have physical gaming sites across the nation before it could set up its digital gaming platforms.
DigiPlus manages digital entertainment platforms BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Perya Game, and BingoPlus Poker.
The company also said it had to secure different licences to be able offer a variety of games, such as traditional bingo, electronic bingo games, electronic gaming services, sports betting, specialty games, and poker.
Mr Tsui added: “Fans of DigiPlus’ products will be glad to know that their top-of-the-line platforms will continue running without interruption, unaffected by the recent presidential announcement.”
DigiPlus reported first-quarter consolidated revenue of PHP13.63 billion (US$233.2 million), up 226.3 percent from a year earlier.
Such growth was “mainly due to increase in revenue from bingo and electronic games from retail, casino and property segments,” the firm said in May.
