DigiPlus says it’s not affected by POGO ban

Listed digital gaming firm DigiPlus, the company behind popular gaming brand BingoPlus, on Wednesday said it is not affected by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s order to ban all Philippine offshore gaming operators, saying it is not a POGO.

“DigiPlus is not a POGO or an Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) as defined under Philippine laws,” DigiPlus president Andy Tsui said in a statement.

He added that DigiPlus, as a local digital gaming company, caters to customers based in the Philippines and as such is required to have physical branches around the country.

The DigiPlus chief said local gaming operators are mandated to have physical gaming sites within the country before they could set up their digital gaming platforms, so that clients within the Philippines may access their services. 

DigiPlus offers digital entertainment platforms BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, Perya Game, and BingoPlus Poker. 

Tsui, moreover, said that DigiPlus is held to a different legal standard not only as a publicly listed company, but also because it had to secure different licenses to be able to operate the traditional bingo, electronic bingo games, electronic gaming services, sports betting, specialty games, and poker. 

DigiPlus also must secure gaming system service provider accreditations, and more.

“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.

In 2023, DigiPlus paid P13.1 billion in taxes to the Philippine government, according to the gaming firm’s chief. — Ted Cordero/BM, GMA Integrated News