Although there are only 10 days left in 2021, the biggest news in the Philippine casino market is that the island nation’s brick-and-mortar IRs will be operating at just 50% capacity throughout the remainder of the year. Of course, it’s not just the gambling floors that will be so limited. The halved capacity applies also … 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
Alvin Chau, the CEO of Suncity Group Holdings, was taken into custody this weekend after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the Chinese city of Wenzhou on Friday. Suncity is Macau’s largest junket operator, and China’s main complaint against the 47-year-old Chau is as basic and nebulous as you’d expect: money laundering. However, … Read more
The Philippines casino market is officially recovering. And no, we’re not talking about the country’s new iGaming initiatives, designed to stem the tide of coronavirus-related PAGCOR losses. After all, those will slowly work their way into the fabric of society, much like the best offshore Philippine casinos, online sports betting sites, and PH poker rooms … Read more
Slowly but surely, the land-based Philippine casino industry is opening back up. After suffering through more extended lockdowns (albeit not to the extent that they were closed during 2020), major Philippine IRs are now welcoming back in-person patrons. While the biggest operators had rolled out legal online iGaming to a limited clientele (rendering them largely … Read more
It’s no secret that the Philippines has big plans for Boracay, with the gambling moratorium recently lifted and construction moving apace on new destination casino properties. However, the pushback – both locally and internationally – has been incredible. In Boracay itself, there are environmental concerns as well as a concerted religious opposition to the initiative, … Read more
As in 2020, the coronavirus lockdowns in the Philippines have put a serious hurting on domestic casino revenues. That said, because the nation learned from the pandemic’s economic impact over the last 18 months, the financial downturn prompted by this year’s Metro Manila lockdowns has been markedly less dramatic. Last year, revenues compared year-over-year were … Read more
After a tumultuous 2020 that saw the Philippines casino industry brought to its knees, the first half of 2021 saw a return to normalcy for the nation’s brick-and-mortar gambling market. But lessons learned during the pandemic – particularly re online casino gambling and sports betting and why both need to be conveniently accessible to combat … 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
It’s been a busier time than usual in the Philippines gambling market. With fears of coronavirus continuing to spread, many Chinese gamblers are turning to POGOs, which is a boon for the islands’ gaming industry and tax coffers. However, locals are also more cautious to travel and mingle in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos within the Philippines, … Read more