DigiPlus seeks to boost offline casino business

MANILA, Philippines — Digital entertainment company DigiPlus Interactive Corp. is exploring opportunities on how to further bolster its upcoming land-based casino business.

“Currently, we’re also exploring other projects. We may explore to further increase our positions in the land-based operations,“ DigiPlus president Andy Tsui said.

In November last year, DigiPlus signed a convertible notes agreement which carry the rights to acquire a controlling economic stake in International Entertainment Corp. (IEC), a company listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

“You’re aware that we will invest a total of P12 billion to purchase the convertible notes from IEC, the owner and operator of New Coast Hotel and LaVie Casinos,” Tsui said.

“So this transaction is actually going as planned. We made the first payment of that P6 billion in early March. And then the final payment will be made before the end of May or early June,” he said.

A five-star hotel located in the area of Roxas Boulevard in Malate, New Coast Hotel Manila was formerly known as New World Hotel Manila.

The hotel-casino complex currently offers 203 guest rooms and operates 96 gaming tables, 495 slot machines and a range of other gaming amenities.

The acquisition will allow DigiPlus, the listed company behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, to optimize its group structure by combining its leadership in digital entertainment and technology with IEC’s expertise in hospitality and gaming management.

“Whether it’s a land-based adding the online or the online adding the land-based, eventually, we are seeing a benefit of providing players an omnichannel ecosystem. So we want to be a one-stop shop for them. So instead of just focusing on the online, our players may also choose other land-based for their entertainment. So we want to provide them a full ecosystem of the digital as well as physical entertainments,” Tsui said.

He said DigiPlus is also pursuing more digital entertainment content that will enrich the offering in its existing platform.

“This aligns with our business strategies to become a digital entertainment ecosystem and also build the omnichannel for our players. Meaning that besides what we offer the online space, we also want to convert them and offer more of the land-based entertainment,” Tsui said.