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Gaming firm unaffected by POGO ban

Maria Bernadette Romero

The imposition of a ban on all Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instilled a sense of uncertainty among numerous individuals and even companies whose livelihoods are directly tied to the industry.

However, listed digital gaming firm DigiPlus Interactive Corp. assured its stakeholders that its business and operations remain intact and will not be affected by the ban on POGO.

“DigiPlus is not a POGO or an Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) as defined under Philippine laws,” DigiPlus President Andy Tsui clarified on Wednesday.

“As such, local gaming enthusiasts need not worry. Fans of DigiPlus’ products will be glad to know that their top-of-the-line platforms will continue running without interruption, unaffected by the recent presidential announcement,” Tsui said.

DigiPlus is a localized digital gaming company that caters to customers based in the Philippines and it is required to have physical branches around the country before it can set up its digital gaming platforms so all of its clients can access its services.

As a provider of digital entertainment platforms, the company caters specifically to Filipinos through offerings such as BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Perya Game, and BingoPlus Poker.

Moreover, DigiPlus pointed out that it operates under a distinct legal framework as a publicly traded company. Among other requirements, the company needs to obtain gaming system service provider accreditations.

Last year, DigiPlus paid P13.1 billion in taxes to the Philippine government on top of providing jobs to over 2,000 employees nationwide. Likewise, the company allocated over P100 million towards corporate social responsibility projects under the BingoPlus Foundation.