New Table Games to be Launched at Newport World Resorts
Newport World Resorts, located in Manila, Philippines, is set to launch new table games for PIGO clients in December, under the license of the Philippine Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO). This expansion comes as Hakan Dagtas, the chief operating officer of the facility, announced plans to add new table games to the property, as reported by GGRAsia.
Currently, the property offers PIGO clients the opportunity to play 50 slot machines, according to Dagtas. The PIGO license, which was designated as the licensing category throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, allowed land-based casino owners in the Philippines to provide iGaming services to the local market during a time when restrictions related to COVID-19 prevented Philippine players from visiting casinos. As the pandemic period waned, the PIGO system entered a new phase.
The PIGO license is intended for iGaming services for the local market, in contrast to the “POGO” licenses, which are Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator licenses aimed at overseas player services. However, the “POGO” licenses have come under scrutiny by China in recent years as part of a campaign to discourage mainland Chinese people from online gambling.
PIGO games must be linked to physical gaming tables or machines operated by the PIGO licensee, as opposed to traditional online gambling which relies on server-based random number generators. This makes PIGO widely known as a form of “remote gambling.”
The owner and operator of Newport World Resorts, Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., reported a net loss of PHP13 million (US$232.252) in the third quarter of 2022, a decrease from the previous year. However, the net loss for Q3 2022 specifically was PHP131 million. On the other hand, net income for the same quarter reached almost PHP8.28 billion, representing a 28.3% growth compared to 2022.
Newport World Resorts, formerly known as Resorts World Manila, is situated across Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay, Manila, and is owned and operated by Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. This information was reported through a November 15 filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange by the parent firm.