Philippine gambling operator Leisure and Resorts World Corp. said in a Monday filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange that PAGCOR, the country’s gambling regulator, has authorized one of the company’s subsidiaries to resume operations at some of its electronic bingo parlors.
AB Leisure Exponent Inc., the subsidiary in question, was notified via an email by PAGCOR that it can resume the provision of eBingo options at certain locations around the country. As a result, as many as twenty such sites have been re-opened and are now providing gambling customers with electronic bingo games.
Earlier this month, two of Leisure and Resorts World’s wholly-owned subsidiaries were required to cease operations at a number of electronic games parlors in separate orders by the Philippine gambling regulator. PAGCOR posed alleged lack of compliance with its distance restriction guidelines as a reason for its decision. AB Leisure was one of the companies to be ordered to halt the provision of eBingo games and 36 of its locations stopped operations as a result.
According to its parent company’s Monday filing, PAGCOR has reconsidered its decision and has recommended the relaunch of the greater part of the shuttered eBingo parlors. The gambling regulator has been recommended by its Gaming and Licensing and Development Department as well as by its Department for Legal and Corporate Services to honor licenses of electronic bingo providers whose sites are located in hotels, malls, and arcades.
Leisure and Resorts World said that its eBingo parlors will remain exempt from the distance requirements until their licenses expire. It is still unclear whether the exemption will remain in effect afterwards.
The news about Leisure Resorts and World and its subsidiaries being asked to cease operations came shortly after newly elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office and initiated an unparalleled crackdown on the provision of online gambling services in a bid to protect residents from the ills such services may cause. Last month, it became clear that operator of iGaming parlors PhilWeb Corp. would not have its license renewed. As a result, hundreds of online gambling facilities were shuttered.
Earlier this month, PAGCOR said that although the provision of this type of gaming options will continue being targeted by the President, international operators will be allowed to base their servers within the country’s borders as long as they are not offering such options to residents.
