ASEAN Gaming Summit kicks off with Pagcor keynote

Sunday 19th of March 2017

The inaugural ASEAN Gaming Summit kicks off in Manila on Tuesday, gathering more than 300 delegates to discuss the opportunities and challenges of operating in some of the region’s most dynamic markets.

Organized by Asia Gaming Brief, the summit will feature more than 60 speakers from both the land-based and online gaming spheres, including leading regional operators and suppliers and the four Entertainment City licensees.

The rise and fall in fortunes of the Macau gaming market have often dominated the headlines when it comes to gaming in Asia, overshadowing the growth seen in many of the smaller emerging markets. However, for the past two years, the Philippines has been the star performer with gross gaming revenue increasing more than 18 percent in 2016.

Other emerging markets have also been seeing strong growth, with some benefiting from the exodus of VIP gamers from Macau. Key regulatory changes, such as new legislation introduced in Vietnam in January, are also stimulating foreign investor interest.

Pagcor Chair Andrea Domingo will give the keynote address highlighting the recent developments in the Philippine gaming sphere and providing an update on some of the initiatives the regulator’s new management team is taking to provide the basis for sustainable future growth.

The summit is the culmination of a vision from AGB managing directors Ros Wade and Luis Pereira to bring together the Asian land-based and online communities.

“We have been delighted with the overwhelming support we have received for this inaugural event,” Pereira said. “The level of interest just shows the confidence the global gaming industry has in the potential for this region.”

Wade continues: “The Philippines is a particularly interesting case as it is the only regulated online market in Asia. As well as the land-based seminars, the summit will take the time to examine the latest developments in the online sphere and on the increasing areas of convergence between the two.”

Day one will be dedicated to land-based gaming, with day two focusing on convergence and day three taking up the theme of developments in the online and lottery spheres.