Pagcor issues first online traditional bingo license to LRWC

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) granted Leisure and Resorts World Corp. (LRWC) the first online traditional bingo (OTB) license, the company said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022¹. The license allows LRWC to offer bingo games using both onsite and offsite platforms¹.

LRWC is the group behind the Bingo Bonanza games operated in shopping malls, and it rolled out its newest gaming brand, BingoPlus, through subsidiary AB Leisure Exponent Inc. (ABLE)¹. Bingo patrons can access the game via streaming while it is played onsite, initially in 18 Bingo Bonanza traditional bingo halls in Metro Manila and other provincial areas¹. The company also plans to expand the onsite offering of OTB in other traditional bingo sites nationwide¹.

LRWC said in the disclosure that OTB is expected to be one of its main revenue streams in the future¹. Newly appointed LRWC president Andy Tsui said in a press statement that strengthening online platforms is one of the company's major strategies, to provide more and better playing opportunities to customers during the pandemic and beyond¹.

The report describes the game as combining the excitement of the old and the convenience of new technology¹. No fee, license term, revenue-share figure or launch date for the online product was reported¹.

What it means for players

Bingo in the Philippines has been tied to physical halls, including the Bingo Bonanza sites in shopping malls¹. This license creates a route for the same traditional bingo game to be played remotely, with the onsite game streamed to players who are not in the hall¹. For players in Metro Manila and the provincial areas covered by the initial 18 halls, the practical change is that a game running in a physical venue can also be joined offsite¹. The report does not state which provincial areas are included, how players register, what the stakes are, or whether play is open to people outside the Philippines¹. It also does not say whether the online product was live at the time of the announcement¹.

What happens next

LRWC plans to expand the onsite offering of OTB to other traditional bingo sites nationwide¹. No timeline for that expansion, and no date for a wider online rollout, has been reported¹.

For background on how Philippine gaming licenses work and how to check one, see How to Check a PAGCOR Gaming License and Types of Gambling Licenses Explained: Concessions, Casino, Online, B2B and B2C. For the wider regional picture, see Gambling Regulators and Licenses in Asia: Who Licenses What and How to Check and Online Gambling Operators A to Z: License, Owner and Accepted Countries. Bingo venues and options in the country are covered in Where to Play Bingo in the Philippines, and general market access in Can I Gamble in the Philippines?.