Buoyed by the revitalization of the local gaming industry, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said it plans to implement measures to boost market growth, provide a more convenient gaming experience to guests and encourage healthy competition.
PAGCOR chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco announced during the opening ceremony of the SiGMA Asia Summit 2023 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on July 20, 2023 that the agency aimed to launch its own online gaming operations, dubbed as “casinofilipino.com” by the first quarter of 2024.
Tengco said the online Casino Filipino aims to employ virtual reality-based technology that can simulate the sights and sounds of a physical casino, thereby offering a realistic and immersive gaming experience.
“It will allow players to interact with the digital counterparts of traditional casino games. It will also transcend physical boundaries and will enable users from around the world to interact and participate in virtual environments. It can reach a global audience and can establish a presence in virtual communities of avid gamers. It will likewise offer an opportunity to tap into new markets and diversify its customer base,” he said.
The PAGCOR chief said the online Casino Filipino would “bring several benefits and opportunities such as increased revenue, extended reach and market expansion, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer engagement.”
He said that aside from the launch of the new gaming offering, PAGCOR is modernizing its slot machine operations to help sustain growth momentum.
“We have already taken the preliminary steps and entered into negotiations with different manufacturers for the modernization of our slot machines. We expect our customers to have a renewed gaming experience as we endeavor to enhance our game offerings by replacing our old machines with a total of 3,500 brand-new units of Electronic Gaming Machines under a lease agreement between PAGCOR and the manufacturer,” he said.
The modernization plan also includes the development of the state-run gaming and regulatory firm’s information technology programs and systems to help finetune PAGCOR’s casino management system.
“This will play a pivotal role in improving PAGCOR’s casinos in terms of operational efficiency, enhancing customer experience, facilitating real-time reporting and analytics, ensuring security and fraud prevention, optimizing financial management and streamlining compliance requirements,” Tengco said.