Filipino casinos hope for early return

Filipino casinos could reopen at the end of June or beginning of July, said the chairman and CEO of PAGCOR, the country’s government-controlled operator.

Andrea Domingo, addressing the ICE SiGMA Asia Digital 2020 online conference, said that the company had contributed an additional €88.6m in dividends to the national treasury.

The gaming industry in the Philippines , Domingo pointed out, employs 132,000 people. The extra dividends, bringing the PAGCOR total for 2019 to just over €300m, would therefore assist the economy, she said.

“We have to maximise revenue collection because our government needs the money, not just to fight COVID-19, but to buy a vaccine when it is available.”