The operator of casino complex Newport World Resorts, in the Philippine capital Manila, is set to expand operations under its Philippine Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO) licence, with the addition of live table games, the property’s chief operating officer, Hakan Dagtas, told GGRAsia. The new offering is scheduled to go live next month.

Currently, Newport World Resorts offers PIGO players access to 50 slot machines, according to Mr Dagtas.

PIGO was flagged as a licensing category during the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing land-based casino operators in the Philippines to offer online gambling services to the domestic market during a period when Covid-19-related restrictions prevented players in the country from visiting casinos. The PIGO system has continued into the post-pandemic recovery period.

As the PIGO acronym suggests, such licences are for online gambling services for the domestic market, in contrast to so-called ‘POGO’ licences – Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator permits – for services aimed at players overseas. The latter licences came under scrutiny from China in recent years as part of a campaign to deter Chinese mainland residents from engaging in online gambling.

Unlike traditional online gambling that relies on server-based random number generators, PIGO games must be connected to physical gaming machines or tables specifically run by the PIGO licensee for that purpose: that is why PIGO is technically known as a form of ‘remote gambling’.

Newport World Resorts is owned and managed by Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. The latter is controlled by Philippine conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc.

The third-quarter net loss attributable to the owners of Travellers narrowed year-on-year to PHP13 million (US$232,252) on a consolidated basis, compared to a loss of PHP131 million in the prior-year quarter. Third-quarter net revenues and income were nearly PHP8.28 billion, up 28.3 percent year-on-year. The information was in a Wednesday filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange by the parent, Alliance Global Group Inc.