Philippines authorities raided an alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) scam hub in Pasay City, leading to the arrest of over 400 foreign nationals.
The raid, conducted on Wednesday by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, resulted in the closure of an illegal POGO operation inside One Wheels Condominiums.
Authorities discovered evidence of various scams, including cryptocurrency fraud, love scams, investment scams, and spamming activities. The operation was primarily targeting foreign nationals through messaging platforms like Viber and Telegram.
Among those arrested were 207 Chinese, 132 Vietnamese, 24 Koreans, 11 Malaysians, 14 Indonesians, 12 Myanmar nationals, and one from Madagascar. Additionally, 52 Filipino workers were also found at the site.
The Pasay City government immediately issued a cease and desist order, shutting down the operation for lack of a business permit and violation of the POGO ban.
Last year President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced a complete ban on POGOs, signaling a stricter stance against these operations, with several raids carried out since then to enforce the ban and crack down on illegal activities associated with now prohibited POGOs.
Good morning. Macau has made its choice, go non-gaming and go hard. The proof is in the pudding, with increased costs to compensate for gaming revenues that can’t quite top pre-pandemic values. And the consumer profile is shifting, leading to a new focus for gaming operators. Meanwhile, a new focus is what Hong Kong is going for – this time centered on the basketball hoop. If intentions can pan through, a new sports betting option may be on the table. And in the Philippines, there are high hopes for GGR this year, with expectations of yearly growth up to 17 percent, according to PAGCOR.
Macau is inheriting the victim of its success. By shifting to a more non-gaming focus, the clientele is now aligning more with the new offerings that steer punters away from the gaming floor. But tourism spend overall in the world’s largest gaming hub is on the downtrend. The Chinese New Year period was a slight reprieve, but problems could be on the horizon.
In 2024, 1xBet achieved significant breakthroughs and successes, solidifying its position in the iGaming industry. The brand secured major partnership deals, received prestigious awards, and showcased its innovations at the world’s leading forums.
PopOK Gaming is shaking up the gaming industry with the simultaneous release of two exciting new games: ‘Eye on the Money’—featuring a unique partnership with acclaimed street artist Alec Monopoly, and ‘Avi’—a dynamic crash game promising high-octane thrills and non-stop excitement.
Eye on the Money: A Fusion of Art and High-Stakes Wins
PopOK Gaming is pleased to introduce Eye on the Money, a high-energy 3×5 slot with 25 paylines, featuring Alec Monopoly’s iconic graffiti-inspired style. This one-of-a-kind game blends luxury, art, and big wins, delivering a bold and vibrant slot experience.
Key Features That Keep You Spinning
Wilds – Substitutes for regular symbols, helping players land bigger wins.
Money & Jackpot Symbols – The Collect symbol gathers all Money and Jackpot symbols, boosting winnings.
Free Spins – Unlock thrilling Free Spins with special reels packed with surprises.
Super Game & Four Epic Jackpots – Enter the Super Game and pick from four jackpots for a chance at massive rewards!
With its bold artistic flair, engaging mechanics, and thrilling win potential, Eye on the Money is a must-play for slot enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
Avi: Get Ready to Fly PopOK Gaming’s Latest Crash Sensation!
Taking crash games to new heights, Avi offers an electrifying experience where timing is everything. Players place their bets, watch the multiplier rise, and must cash out before the crash to claim their winnings. With a 98% RTP and a 10,000x max multiplier, Avi delivers high-speed action and massive winning potential.
A Seamless and Immersive Experience
Sleek, modern interface for a smooth user experience.
Lightning-fast gameplay to keep players engaged.
Mobile-optimized design for seamless play on all devices.
Easy integration for operators, with full support from PopOK Gaming.
As crash games continue to dominate the market, Avi is set to become a player favorite, offering a thrilling mix of strategy, excitement, and high-stakes fun.
Pragmatic Play, a top content supplier to the iGaming industry, has launched Big Bass Bingo, a 30-ball bingo game that extends the award-winning Big Bass series.
The famous fisherman makes his bingo debut in this unique crossover, where players daub off animated fish instead of traditional bingo balls as they hope to reel in golden fish along with full house and jackpot wins.
Added-value prizes and big jackpots are the defining characteristics of Big Bass Bingo. Players are randomly awarded golden fish on their tickets and can track how many golden fish they catch and cash prizes they collect.
Big Bass Bingo also includes two jackpot prizes. The Daily Catch jackpot is seeded at £2,000. The Big Catch is a whopping £10,000 seeded progressive jackpot that will be split 50/50 with the full house winner(s) and all players who purchased a ticket in the winning game.
The ever-expanding Big Bass range now spans slots, crash games, and bingo as Pragmatic Play continues to deliver fresh entertainment experiences with player-favourite content.
Claire McDaid, VP of Bingo at ARRISE powering Pragmatic Play, said: “Big Bass Bingo brings a new dimension to Pragmatic Play’s award-winning bingo offering, combining the much-loved Big Bass theme with engaging mechanics and added value in the form of the Golden Fish feature and two fantastic jackpot prizes.”
Altenar has boosted its sportsbook offering with an upgraded tennis vertical, now featuring official TDI data through a strategic integration with Sportradar.
The recent launch brings fast, live data from ATP and Challenger Tour events, increasing the number of in-play betting opportunities and introducing innovative micro markets. By leveraging Sportradar’s advanced AI and deep tennis data from TDI, Altenar can now process hundreds of thousands of data points from every match, offering a significant boost in betting options for users.
The introduction of micro markets allows users to bet on events with an immediate result, such as next serve, break points or the total number of shots in a point. This new feature is expected to enhance the user experience and drive further engagement, as micro markets have already proven to be successful in soccer and major US sports.
Altenar’s commitment to utilising premium data from official rights holders underlines its focus on delivering a superior sportsbook experience. The improvements aim to boost retention rates for operators, ultimately leading to greater revenue.
Antonis Karakousis, Director of Operations at Altenar, said: “This is a pivotal opportunity to achieve our growth ambitions. By integrating cutting-edge tennis data, we are providing unique betting options and the lowest possible latency across all our operators, driving innovation in the industry.”
beBettor, the data analytics platform, has bolstered its executive leadership team with the appointment of a new Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Growth Officer.
CCO Graeme Price will be joined by David Black, who has been appointed as CGO. The highly accomplished leaders will join to meet strong demand for beBettor’s customer affluence scores, which enable UK-facing operators to immediately identify high potential and super affluent players upon sign up.
Price leverages more than 25 years of sales experience, working across multi-vertical global enterprise businesses. In the last 10 years, he has focused on the global iGaming industry and driven company growth by supporting businesses to navigate new market launches, emerging technologies and significant commercial development.
Black brings 25 years of experience in iGaming, technology and finance sectors. He was part of the founding Isle of Man management team at Microgaming in 2001, before moving on to Continent 8, where he was COO and Director. Most recently, he has held consultancy roles at Tech Co and founded, run and supported several tech start-ups.
The strategic leadership of both Price and Black will steer beBettor into its next phase of growth, with the platform looking to expand commercial horizons and boost UK-facing operator’s ability to maximise the lifetime value of high-potential players.
beBettor’s platform produces an affluence score of 1-10 for each of an operators’ registered players, with a 10 score representing a player in the top 10% wealth bracket in the country and a 1 score representing a player in the bottom 10% wealth bracket in the country. This data allows operators to implement hyper-personalised marketing strategies based on player wealth, as well as activate high-value dormant customers.
Harry Cott, CEO at beBettor, said: “We are thrilled to expand our leadership team with the addition of David and Graeme, two heavy hitters in the industry. Both bring a wealth of industry specific experience, which will be invaluable to operators seeking to extract maximum value from our data.”
Tom Horn Gaming, a leading supplier of iGaming content, has announced the release of its latest slot game, Wild Skyfire, launching on 4 March.
This amazing slot transports players to the serene town of Hanabi, where a breathtaking fireworks-lit night sky sets the stage for an unforgettable gaming experience.
Blending traditional slot mechanics with a cosy, atmospheric aesthetic, the slot offers players a new way to enjoy gaming – one that’s both familiar and refreshingly different.
Classic elements in a distinctive setting
Unlike fast-paced, high-intensity slots, Wild Skyfire takes a different approach, immersing players in a calm yet engaging environment. Its medium volatility ensures a balanced gaming experience, appealing to both casual and seasoned players alike.
One of the standout features of Wild Skyfire is the Wild symbol, which appears in both the base game and the bonus round. In the base game, the Wild symbol forms wild clusters, increasing the chances of higher wins.
Free Spins, triggered by three Scatter symbols, introduces Sticky Wilds for greater win potential. When activated, any Wild symbols that land during the Free Spins round remain in their positions for the duration of the feature, maximising the opportunities for big wins. Players can retrigger Free Spins multiple times, with each Scatter symbol awarding an extra spin.
For players who enjoy instant action, Wild Skyfire offers a Special Offer Bonus Buy feature. This allows players to immediately access the Free Spins round by purchasing it directly, skipping the wait and diving straight into the most thrilling part of the game.
Katarina Slaninova, Head of Marketing Communications at Tom Horn Gaming said: “With Wild Skyfire we wanted to create something that stands out from the typical high-energy slots, offering a tranquil yet captivating adventure. Its serene atmosphere provides players with an immersive escape while delivering the action they love.”
By offering a game that seamlessly blends tranquillity with gameplay excitement, the company caters to a broad audience looking for both traditional slot thrills and something refreshingly different.
Players can experience the magic firsthand when the game goes on general release on 4 March. They’re invited to explore the captivating world of Hanabi, where big wins shine as bright as the fireworks overhead.
Gross gaming revenue in the Philippines could grow by as much as 17 percent this year, on a rise of electronic gaming and contributions from improving results at integrated resorts.
According to Reuters, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) head revealed the possible results on Wednesday, saying GGR could range between PHP450 billion and PHP480 billion ($7.77 billion-$8.3 billion) this year.
This would continue the upward trajectory seen in recent years, as the country emerges from the shadow of the pandemic and sees a rapidly accelerating eGaming industry.
The Philippines has benefited from an earlier opening up process post-COVID, as well as a boom in its domestic market, even despite the downturn in revenues due to the banning of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) on January 1st, 2025.
While a possible casino in Thailand is only expected in 2029 at the earliest, regional gaming operators are understandably concerned about the potential drop in punters, especially as they go to explore new stomping grounds.
On a separate note, the PAGCOR Chairman also confirmed that the process of the privatization of its Casino Filipino assets is ongoing, with expectations to start potentially “next year”.
Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, proposed exploring the regulation of basketball betting in the latest budget, released on February 26th.
The move aims to combat illegal gambling activities and will involve inviting the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to submit relevant proposals.
Local media disclosed the plan earlier this week, noting that it is part of the city’s strategy to address its growing fiscal deficit.
In response, the HKJC has welcomed the initiative and pledged to provide detailed recommendations to the Hong Kong government in the near future, expressing anticipation for the swift implementation of the policy.
The HKJC highlighted the severe social issues stemming from illegal basketball betting, including loan sharking and the enticement of minors into gambling. According to their estimates, the volume of illegal basketball gambling reached approximately HK$70 billion to HK$90 billion ($9 billion-$11.6 billion) last year. Regulating basketball betting is expected to effectively curb the growth of illegal gambling.
Brooklyn Nets NBA Game at Barclays Center
Moreover, the move would bolster the government’s efforts to combat illicit gambling, support the HKJC‘s charitable contributions to society, and generate significant tax revenue for the government, ultimately serving the public interest.
Additionally, lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong – who represents the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication sector – pointed out the substantial public demand for basketball betting, which is currently being met through illegal channels.
Hong Kong legislator Kenneth Fok
The legislator emphasized the necessity of regulating basketball betting to combat illegal bookmaking and redirect betting revenue into the legal market. Fok anticipates that this could yield at least HK$1.5 billion to HK$2 billion ($193 million-$257 million) in additional betting tax revenue for the treasury annually.
The HKJC is expected to submit a proposal soon, and Fok says he hopes the government will promptly initiate public consultation and legislative procedures. He expressed confidence that the relevant betting programs could be launched before the start of next year’s NBA season.
However, concerns have also been raised. Lawmaker Brave Chan Yung acknowledged the rationale behind the government’s move to regulate basketball betting. However, given basketball’s immense popularity among young people in Hong Kong, with an exceptionally high density of outdoor basketball courts, there are worries that legalizing basketball betting could entice individuals, particularly young people and students who do not typically gamble, to engage in betting and potentially develop addictive behaviors.
Therefore, if basketball betting is legalized, the lawmaker opines that it will be crucial to strengthen “watch basketball, not gamble” campaigns in schools, communities, and families. Fok encourages a multi-pronged approach to address the potential negative consequences of legalizing basketball betting.
Macau’s gaming sector experienced a 26 percent year-on-year decline in average gross gaming revenue (GGR) per visitor in January 2024.
CreditSights, a Fitch Group firm, notes in its latest investment memo that the average GGR per visitor decreased from MOP6,757 ($846) in January 2024 to MOP5,006 ($627) in January 2025, likely driven by a shift in the visitor mix, with an increase in non-casino visitors.
CreditSights’ Wednesday memo noted that January 2025’s GGR per visitor was only 69 percent of pre-pandemic January 2019 levels. Analysts Nicholas Chen and David Bussey also highlighted the ongoing challenges in the gaming sector, particularly the subdued presence of junket-sourced VIPs.
Non-gaming spend is unlikely to change in the short term
CreditSights notes that non-gaming spend is unlikely to change significantly in the short term. While non-gaming projects may improve operators’ margins, the flow-through remains dependent on strong visitation and overall volume.
The group highlighted statistical data showing a 6 percent year-over-year increase in non-gaming spending for FY24, reaching 118 percent of FY19 levels. This growth was driven by a 24 percent increase in total visitor arrivals. However, non-gaming spending per capita fell by 15 percent year-over-year to MOP2,157 ($270).
Analysts expect this trend to continue, with per capita non-gaming spending normalizing as the visitor mix shifts toward less affluent regions.
Strong visitor arrivals in January
The same investment memo also points out a significant boost in overall visitor arrivals for Macau in January 2025. Total arrivals climbed to 3.6 million, a 27 percent yearly increase, surpassing pre-pandemic levels (106.5 percent of January 2019 figures). Mainland Chinese tourists continued to dominate, making up 75 percent of the total visitors.
However, Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the month declined by 6 percent year-on-year to MOP18.3 billion ($2.29 billion), representing only 73 percent of January 2019 levels. Analysts attribute this decline to several factors, including softer tourist arrivals during the early days of the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday, a shift in the visitor mix toward lower-spending premium mass tourists, and an increase in non-casino visitors.
Despite the January decline, analysts expect sequential improvement in GGR for February, driven by stronger visitation during the latter part of the CNY period, which saw healthier foot traffic and more visitors post-CNY compared to the previous year.
Visitor arrivals from Chinese provinces with higher GDP per capita, such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, have already fully recovered to pre-COVID levels. Analysts suggest that future growth in visitation will likely come from provinces with lower GDP per capita, which may limit the potential for a significant increase in GGR per visitor.
