(MENAFN)
In 2024, the Philippines authorities changed the face of online gambling in the country. While the practice was open, it was highly regulated, but recent developments are likely to lead to a focus on the construction of new physical casinos, while the online industry continues in the background.
Online Shift
The casino scene has always been popular here, and job seekers found increased placements thanks to those offshore operators. There is definitely an acceptable side of the industry thanks to some of the best online casino Philippines players have access to.
The POGOs, platforms which have obtained a license from the Philippine government, have produced some benefits including increased employment opportunities among local workers. Residents here want to play and access slots, roulette, blackjack and others, but the POGOs needed much stiffer regulation.
The upside of the government’s actions, is a drive to secure more investment for casinos within the Philippines. Both digital and physical casinos are in the spotlight, and there appears to be serious interest among some overseas investors.
What Next?
With online casinos set to experience a change in regulations, some of the focus has switched to bricks and mortar gaming halls. In addition, the proposed ban only applies to those casinos that are providing access to customers based overseas. In theory, it will still be possible to access an online platform that is only available to residents of the country.
There is certainly some good news in the pipeline for those land based casinos, with the Philippines set to receive some significant investment. A report issued in March 2024 by the Philippines gaming regular suggests that there could be as much as $6 billion in investments coming into the nation’s casino industry.
At present, the highest concentration of physical casinos are in the capital Manila, but the extra revenue is intended to expand these businesses into other areas of the country. One key target area is Clark which is the site of a former United States military base. Another designated location is the city of Cebu in the Philippines’ Central Region.
Investment is set to come from a number of sources and it will allow the Philippines to build one new casino every other year from 2025 onwards. It’s an exciting development, but there should still be a choice between online and offline platforms for local players.
It leaves the Philippines casino industry facing an interesting year in 2025. Will there be an increase in legitimate access to online platforms, or will customers look more towards physical casinos which are set to receive that significant investment? Will there be consequences for employment and revenue figures? All of these questions need to be answered and 2025 will be a pivotal year for the sector here.
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