bingo gets Pagcor’s OK By Likha C. Cuevas-Miel

[BingoT]

New variant of electronic
bingo gets Pagcor’s OK

By Likha C. Cuevas-Miel


LEISURE Resorts World Corp. (LRWC), the country’s largest Bingo game operator, announced on Tuesday that state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has approved a new electronic game for Bingo Bonanza.

In a disclosure, LRWC said the new game dubbed as Dingo Thunder Series (DTS) would have a 90-day trial period and subject to the approved terms and conditions governing the operation of existing games. The electronic bingo game variant would be under AB Leisure Exponents Inc. (ABLE), a wholly owned unit of LRWC and operator of Bingo Bonanza in shopping malls.

The company also claimed that the new game offers added flexibility in a more secure environment and is a server-based system so Bingo Bonanza can change the game configuration according to the demands of its players even on a daily basis.

According to the gaming firm, Pagcor would evaluate certain processes and may suggest changes during the trial period. If there are changes, ABLE should adopt these for the continued rollout and adoption of the machines.

Since there is usually a gestation period of about six to nine months before the machines are fully deployed in all the branches and gain acceptance from the playing public, LRWC has yet to determine the revenues it can derive from the new game, Freddie B. Reyes, LRWC investor relations officer, told The Manila Times.

For this new venture, LRWC has a sharing agreement with the manufacturer, which will shoulder all the costs.

At present, ABLE has 18-percent share of the profits from the game, while 22 percent goes to the manufacturer and the balance to the government through Pagcor.

Reyes said ABLE has 1,260 machines for Dingo all over the country and will replace some of these with new ones as the company aims to deploy about 1,500 machines to 36 Bingo sites nationwide.