The Philippine gaming regulator aims to identify by “the end of the first quarter, early second quarter” of 2025, via a procurement process, a “joint venture partner” for its own online casino brand, casinofilipino.com.

Such a venture might then be “going live in [the] second quarter [at] the earliest,” said Alejandro Tengco (pictured), chairman and chief executive of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), in reply to questions from GGRAsia on the sidelines of a event in Macau on Tuesday, organised by casino equipment supplier LT Game Ltd.

He stated: “In January we can start full blast with the process of procurement and then make an announcement towards the end of the first quarter, early second [quarter].”

There would, said Mr Tengco, need to be a bid process. “You cannot just award it to somebody… without going through a procurement process,” he noted.

This, Mr Tengco clarified, was “the process to secure the joint venture partner”.

The product offer for casinofilipino.com would be “not only live slots” but also “RNG games… being played online,” said the Pagcor chairman. That was a reference to other electronic gaming products using random number generator technology for game results, which can include electronic table games.

“We also [will] have live streaming of studios that are having baccarat games, for example. It will be an all-encompassing menu.”

Mr Tengco had announced in July 2023 the plan for casinofilipino.com, with the possibility of a first quarter 2024 launch. In March 2023 the authorities had said they planned to sell off the land-based chain of Casino Filipino venues, hoping to raise as much as PHP80 billion (US$1.36 billion, currently).

Since those 2023 announcements, the launch timetable for casinofilipino.com has been adjusted several times, as has the amount potentially to be raised from selling off the land-based chain.

In September, Mr Tengco mentioned that PHP50 billion might be raised from disposing of the land operation, and that the process might only start in 2026, due to changes being required to Pagcor’s charter.