A number of online gambling operators in the Philippines has agreed to set up “PlaySafe Alliance of the Philippines” to ensure high standards in the industry. That is according to a Thursday press release by Philippine-listed and -licensed online gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp.
The firm said it has joined the group as a founding member. All the companies are said to be licensees of the nation’s casino regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor).
“Founded by 18 Pagcor-accredited operators and a law firm, the alliance is built on four pillars: responsible gaming; regulatory integrity; player protection; and the fight against illegal gambling,” stated the announcement.
The Philippine authorities are seeking a path of tighter regulation for the country’s online gambling sector, but there have also been calls for an outright ban.
In Thursday’s release, DigiPlus observed that lawmakers, regulators, and industry leaders in the country “are working to find the right balance between protecting public welfare and sustaining the sector’s economic impact”.
“In this context, the formation of the PlaySafe Alliance signals a unified commitment to higher standards and greater accountability,” it added.
DigiPlus said it joins the association’s Interim Council along with a number of other brands: World Platinum Technologies Inc; Trojans Well Entertainment Corp; Gavin Ventures Inc; Playmate Leisure Solutions Corp; Stotsenberg Leisure Park & Hotel Corp; Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies Inc; Meta Interactive Software Solutions Inc; and Enigma Software Solutions Inc.
Other attending organisations said to have signed up for membership of the PlaySafe Alliance include: law firm Arden Consult; GoTech Entertainment, Inc; IGO Digital High Technology Inc; NEMO Interactive Group Corp; Nextstage Entertainment Inc; RAC Phil Corp; Silver Goose 8 International Inc; Skyline Nexus Corp; Webzoid System Solutions Corp; and Xn Solutions Inc.
Taking action
The update cited DigiPlus chairman, Eusebio Tanco, as saying: “This alliance is not about competition – it’s about collaboration. By working as one, we can ensure that online gambling in the Philippines becomes more secure, transparent, and beneficial to both players and the nation.”
The statement said “the real threat” was “from illegal and unmonitored gambling that targets unprotected players”.
“Without licensed operators, the system loses its only layer of accountability,” it cautioned.
As per to the announcement, the PlaySafe Alliance “will soon establish strategic committees to focus on its core priorities”.
The alliance’s founding members also announced plans to create an “independent advisory panel” made of local and international experts “to provide guidance on responsible gaming regulation, public health, financial technology, and consumer advocacy”.
In a separate development on Thursday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Philippines’ central bank, said it was “taking action to protect financial consumers from the risks associated with online gambling”.
The institution said it was finalising new rules, following a public consultation period, “that will require banks, e-wallets, and other financial service providers to adopt stronger safeguards against gambling-related harm”.
The bank said the upcoming measures will include: strict identity verification; daily limits on gambling-related transfers; time-based restrictions on gambling payments; and u ser tools for setting personal spending caps, taking voluntary breaks, or self-excluding from gambling transactions.
