The country’s gross gaming revenues (GGR) recorded a double-digit increase of 18.54 percent in the first quarter of the year driven by the performance of the Electronic Games (E-Games) sector, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
In a statement, Pagcor said the GGR in the first three months of the year is another new record, reaching P81.7 billion from the P68.92 billion posted in the same period a year ago.
This sustains the upward trend for the local gaming industry since the post-pandemic recovery started in the last quarter of 2022, Pagcor said.
Alejandro Tengco, Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer, said the E- Games sector continues its record-breaking performance, bringing in P22.5 billion or more than six times the 2023 first quarter revenues of P3.5 billion.
“The E-Games revenue performance continues to exceed our projections, and this reflects how gaming technology and the proliferation of mobile devices is influencing not only our daily lives but our entertainment choices as well,” he said.
“With the way technology is constantly shaping our lives and the way we do business, and even the way we choose to be entertained, the future of gaming clearly lies in this sector,” Tengco added.
The Pagcor chief said the state-run gaming agency’s improved regulatory policies and reduced fees also contributed to the success of the E-Games sector.
“We are confident that with our new regulatory policies, more gaming companies both here and abroad will continue to look at business and investment opportunities in the Philippine gaming industry,” he said.
The biggest contributor to the first quarter GGR performance is still the country’s licensed casinos which brought in P49.7 billion, although it is lower than the P54.15 billion year-on-year.
Pagcor-operated casinos under the Casino Filipino brand brought in P4.69 billion, also lower than the previous year’s P5.13 billion, underscoring the challenge faced by the segment as more players continue to migrate to online platforms.
Bingo operations contributed P4.81 billion to the GGR, also lower than the 2023 first quarter take of P6.13 billion.
The country’s projected full year GGR is P336 billion, and the first quarter total is more than 24 percent of the target.
PAGCOR said gaming revenues traditionally spike in the last quarter of the year.
The first quarter GGR for 2024 is however higher than the previous record of P80.12 billion set in the last quarter of 2023, when full-year GGR reached P285.27 billion.
