Online gambling businesses in the Philippines unite to establish PlaySafe Alliance
The PlaySafe Alliance of the Philippines: A New Initiative for Responsible Online Gambling
The Philippines is witnessing a significant development in the online gambling industry with the formation of the PlaySafe Alliance. This coalition, initiated by a group of authorized online gambling companies and a legal advisory firm, aims to strike a balance between economic growth and social responsibility.
At the helm of this alliance is DigiPlus Interactive Corp, the operator behind platforms such as BingoPlus and ArenaPlus. Other major operators like World Platinum Technologies, Trojans Well Entertainment, Gavin Ventures, Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, and DigiPlus are part of the Interim Council of the PlaySafe Alliance. GoTech Entertainment, IGO Digital High Technology, and Silver Goose 8 International are among the early members.
The PlaySafe Alliance's primary objective is to keep online gaming open, safe, and beneficial for the country. To achieve this, the alliance has outlined specific strategies and regulations to promote responsible gaming and protect players.
One of the key strategies is targeting unlicensed operators. The alliance aims to protect players from illegal offshore and unlicensed gambling sites, which are often sources of gambling harm. Another strategy is promoting responsible gambling, aligning with PAGCOR’s initiatives that advocate responsible gaming practices to reduce gambling addiction risks, especially shielding vulnerable groups like youth from excessive gambling exposure and advertising.
Members of the PlaySafe Alliance adhere strictly to PAGCOR licensing requirements and foster industry-wide compliance, helping maintain integrity and transparency in online gambling operations. The alliance also collaborates with authorities on consumer protection, joining efforts such as PAGCOR’s directive to remove gambling advertisements in public spaces to prevent gambling exposure among minors and the general public.
The alliance plans to establish strategic committees for each of its main focus areas and create an independent advisory board with local and international experts. The advisory board will provide advice on subjects such as public health, regulatory policy, new financial technologies, and consumer protection.
The formation of the PlaySafe Alliance comes as the Philippines weighs the economic benefits of regulated online gambling against potential social issues. The alliance aims to establish common standards in four main areas: responsible gambling, regulation compliance, player safety, and combating illegal gaming.
While the exact operational regulations and mechanisms by the PlaySafe Alliance are not yet specified, these efforts are placed within the larger context of PAGCOR's intensified regulation of the online gambling sector and actions against illegal operators. The PlaySafe Alliance, therefore, acts as an industry coalition promoting responsible gaming primarily through advocacy for licensing compliance, battling illegal gambling, raising awareness of gambling harms, and cooperating with regulatory measures legitimately to protect players in the Philippines’ online gambling industry.
- The PlaySafe Alliance, spearheaded by DigiPlus Interactive Corp operating platforms like BingoPlus, is committed to keeping online gambling open, safe, and advantageous for the country.
- One of the strategies implemented by the PlaySafe Alliance is targeting unlicensed operators, aiming to safeguard players from illegal offshore and unlicensed gambling sites.
