No Firm Plans to Acquire IR Licensee CasinoPlus Amid Expansion Speculations: DigiPlus

DigiPlus Interactive Corp Unfazed by Offshore Gaming Ban in the Philippines

DigiPlus Interactive Corp clarified in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday that it currently has no concrete plans to acquire CasinoPlus, an online gaming provider regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). CasinoPlus operates under a gaming license linked to its integrated resort, the Hotel Stotsenberg and Casino in Clark, which is currently undergoing renovations. Clark is situated about two hours north of Manila.

Recent regulatory updates allow licensed land-based casinos and integrated resort operators to offer online gambling services. However, these are restricted to registered members within the Philippines, and the games must be directly tied to physical gaming machines or tables in the casino. This model distinguishes these offerings from traditional online gaming, which relies on server-based virtual games.

DigiPlus stated: “Acquisitions have always been part of the company’s strategic expansion plans. However, there are no definitive plans at this time.” This clarification came in response to a report by Bilyonaryo.com, which suggested DigiPlus was poised to acquire CasinoPlus.

The Bilyonaryo.com article, published on Sunday, speculated that if the acquisition were finalized, the combined monthly revenue of DigiPlus and CasinoPlus could reach PHP10 billion (approximately US$170.4 million). The report also mentioned that discussions had been progressing smoothly, given that both companies share several investors.

Previously known as Leisure & Resorts World Corp, DigiPlus has been linked to various gaming and leisure ventures, including a proposed casino resort project on the island of Boracay, which was reported until October 2023. Currently, the company holds a diverse portfolio in the gaming and leisure sectors, including digital bingo and a digital sportsbook platform.

As of its third-quarter financial disclosure on November 11, DigiPlus retains an 87.27% stake in First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corp. This subsidiary oversees the licensing, regulation, and monitoring of interactive gaming operations for the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), a body that has been issuing interactive gaming licenses since 2001.

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