Bloomberry Resort Corp has confirmed that the company is in the final stages of acquiring land for a new Solaire-branded casino in Cavite. Cavite is located about 66 kilometers southwest of Manila and already hosts several casinos. The Cavite property will be Solaire’s Resort & Casino’s third property in the Philippines after Solaire Resort & … Read more
A senior member of the Philippines House of Representatives is asking for support for House Bill 3559, which, if passed, would replace PAGCOR with PAGCOM. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has been the gambling regulator in the Philippines since PD 1067-A first went into effect in 1977. However, the government agency has also … Read more
Understanding the odds is crucial for any enthusiast or potential player in the world of online slots. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar casinos, legal Philippine online casinos offer a wide range of slot titles that cater to various preferences and tastes. However, the transparency and fairness in the odds sets these digital wagering games apart, ensuring an equitable slot … Read more
Last week, we told you about the arrest of Suncity Group’s Alvin Chau in Macau. Chau, accused of illegally funneling Chinese gamblers to online operations (allegedly – at least in part – to Philippine POGOs), has resigned from all posts within Suncity, but questions remain as to the overall fallout from the scandal. While these … Read more
Last Sunday, Philippines Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon suggested that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) should be sold off to create revenue to combat the spread of the Coronavirus. The request from Drilon demonstrates how dire the COVID-19 situation is in the Philippines, as the entity ranks third behind revenue and customs on … Read more
This week, the Chinese government announced a new initiative aimed at policing the country’s illegal gambling market. This is, at least publicly, something of a 180 from the nation’s stance in the last several months, where it implored the Duterte Administration to bar all online gaming in the Philippines. With Duterte et al. having none … Read more
It’s been a reasonably quiet week in the Philippines gambling market, for a change. However, thanks to the ongoing row between China and the Philippines due to the latter’s controversial POGO industry, developments in competing markets – especially those in China – are of much interest to Filipino casino insiders. Just this week, the China … Read more
The Philippine gambling industry can’t seem to catch a break. Despite record profits and a concerted effort to crack down on tax-dodging POGOs and commercial brick-and-mortar casinos, critics are still pushing the narrative that the industry is a magnet for fraudsters and violent criminals. The South China Morning Post’s most recent report on the subject … Read more
There is seemingly no end to the various “controversies” around the domestic Philippines gambling industry. Usually, the issues of import arise from the tenuous, Chinese-dominated POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) market, but the local casino markets have also been in the spotlight of late. First, many local politicians suggested that the state-run casinos in the … Read more
2019 has been an adventurous – if not tumultuous year – for the Philippine gambling industry. Between admonishments from neighboring China and the influx of migrants to President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on tax-evading Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and the local government’s questioning of the state-owned brick-and-mortar casino model, the market – while profitable – … Read more