Pagcor Reverses Decision on 20 eBingo sites for LRWC

According to a filing on the Philippine Stock Exchange earlier this week gaming regulator Pagcor has reversed its revocation of 20 eBingo sites run by Leisure and Resorts World.

The Philippine gaming regulator ordered the closure of 53 Bingo Bonanza and electronic games sites earlier this month, stating they were in violation of distance restriction guidelines set by the government, requiring that gaming outlets must be at least 200 meters from schools and churches.

Some 36 e-bingo sites of AB Leisure Exponent Inc. (ABLE) and 17 sites of Total Gamezone Extreme Inc (TGXI) were shut down by Pagcor. By response, the LRWC said it would send a letter of reconsideration to the regulator.

In its recent filing, ABLE said it received an email from Pagcor on Saturday, informing them of the approval to resume operations of 20 eBingo sites – as they were located in malls, arcades or hotels and were considered exempted from distance requirements.

The company said in the filing: “The approval was based on the recommendation of PAGCOR’s Gaming Licensing and Development Department (GLDD) and the legal opinion of its Corporate and Legal Services Department (CLSD) to honor the licenses of operators whose gaming sites are located inside malls, arcades and hotels and consider them exempted from distance requirements.”