Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has approved Tiger Resort, Leisure & Entertainment, Inc (TRLEI) to conduct online gaming operations out of its unified resort Okada Manila.
Parent company Universal Entertainment Corp, TRLEI has revealed that it has received a letter from PAGCOR dated 19th April ‘approving entry into online gaming for table games and electric gaming machines as the first among the four integrated resorts comprising Entertainment City in Metro Manila.
According to Universal it also plans to launch online operations once it has completed test simulations and clears all necessary conditions, including confirmation of compliance with casino and AML regulations and payment of license fees.
PAGCOR also stipulates that the system must be capable of being audited and of preventing minors and banned persons from playing.
Universal commented that the group considers this online gaming as the first stop, and they will continue to develop online sports betting gaming using its proprietary technology.
It is not yet exactly known what online operations TREI intends providing but it presumably refers to the Philippine Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO) scheme introduced by PAGCOR last year as a means of enhancing revenues during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Casino and integrated resort operators can be licensed under the PIGO scheme to offer online gambling to existing registered members only, allowing these members to log in and play from anywhere within the country.
The Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) scheme, by comparison, allows licensed online operators to offer online gaming services outside of the Philippines only.