Digital gaming firm earmarks P100M for outreach programs
MANILA, Philippines — Making online gambling games more accessible to Filipinos with some pesos to spare will not be the only priority of digital gaming firm DigiPlus Interactive Corp. this year.
The company behind the widely successful online bingo platform BingoPlus plans to spend more than P100 million on its outreach programs, with focus on digitalization to promote responsible gaming and cybersecurity.
This is a 500-percent increase from its P20-million outreach fund last year. DigiPlus earlier said it would earmark up to P2 billion in capital outlays this year, mostly for technology and game development.
“DigiPlus platforms have not only become a community and entertainment hub but also a contributor to various social and educational nonprofit programs in this country,” DigiPlus President Andy Tsui said in a statement.
“As we grow, we aim to continue to do more for the Filipino people by offering more chances to win in life,” he added.
DigiPlus did not provide a breakdown of its outreach spending, saying that it would invest more in responsible digitalization, education, health and safety, and resiliency.
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For its responsible digitalization initiative, the company with about 20 million players will partner with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to “strengthen public education on responsible gaming, cybersecurity, and data privacy.”
Responsible digitalization
DigiPlus’ other initiatives through BingoPlus Foundation also include the FutureSmart scholarship program—through which it aims to provide tuition fee subsidies to at least 130 scholars—and the Bingo sa Kalusugan program that seeks to provide financial medical assistance to indigent patients.
READ: More Pinoys seen playing online bingo
Last week, Tsui said they wanted to grow their user base by up to 10 million by launching new games and features.
This came as DigiPlus launched a new brand look to attract more Filipino gamers with disposable income, or those between 30 and 45 years old.
The company said it had partnered with global branding firm Landor Group, which has worked with big international brands such as Apple and Microsoft, to recreate its corporate identity and “share the luck” by offering more games and focusing on digital content creation.
“This 2024, we are geared toward increasing DigiPlus’ reach and depth in the growing gaming market. With the help of exciting and pioneering technology, DigiPlus hopes to unlock boundless new forms of digital entertainment experiences for our users,” Tsui said.
DigiPlus’ gaming portfolio includes ArenaPlus, its sports betting brand, and PeryaGame, which mirrors traditional Filipino games seen in carnivals.
The company saw its 2023 earnings grow sixfold to P4.1 billion as its digital retail segment sustained growth amid high smartphone penetration in the country.
