Gaming
PAGCOR revenues surge 35.6% in H1 2023; contribution to nation-building up by 48.50%
THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) continued to surpass its revenue achievements after it recorded P36.21 billion total income in the first half of 2023 – a 35.64% increment from its year-on-year figures of P26.70 billion.
PAGCOR’s revenues for the first half of 2023 was just P2.59 billion or 6.68% short of its pre-pandemic output of P38.81 billion in 2019.
According to PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, with the agency’s consistent upward revenue trend, it is highly possible for PAGCOR to reach or even surpass its pre-pandemic income by the end of 2023.
“PAGCOR will certainly ride on the tide of our country’s economic growth. As economic activities reach pre-pandemic levels, we are optimistic that we can sustain the gaming industry’s growth momentum as we fortify our regulatory policies to attract more investors in the Philippines,” he said.
PAGCOR’s January to June revenues showed that income from gaming operations and regulatory fees from licensees – which amounted to P34.12 billion – remained as the biggest contributor to the agency’s remarkable revenue performance. Said amount was 38.03% higher compared to the P24.72 billion earnings in the previous year.
The higher income from gaming operations during the first semester of this year was driven by the increase in total industry gross gaming revenue (GGR). From last year’s first semester record of P91.72 billion, January to June 2023 GGR amounted to P136.37 billion – which was 48.68% higher than 2022 figures.
“With the finetuning of our regulatory policies, we believe that the Philippines will become a more attractive gaming and entertainment hub both for investors and guests,” Tengco furthered.
The PAGCOR chief added that as one of the biggest contributors to national coffers, the state-run gaming firm is not dependent on any government appropriation or subsidy.
“It is in fact the other way around as PAGCOR remits close to 70% of its revenues to the government in the form of direct remittances to the national coffers and through its other mandated contributions,” he stressed.
Because of PAGCOR’s remarkable revenue performance during the first half of the year, its contribution to nation building also rose by 48.50% — from P15.23 billion in the first half of 2022 to P22.62 billion this year.
Of the P22.62 billion contributions to nation building, P16.20 billion went directly to the National Treasury as 50% government share. Meanwhile, 50% of PAGCOR’s first semester remittances to the national coffers or P8 billion will be transferred to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to fund the Universal Healthcare benefits.
Aside from its contributions to the National Treasury, PAGCOR allocated P3.61 billion for the government’s socio-civic programs. A total of P1.70 billion was likewise remitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue as 5% franchise tax, while the Board of Claims under the Department of Justice received P19.92 million.
The state-run gaming and regulatory firm likewise remitted P810.47 million to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). An additional P17.97 million was released to the PSC as Sports Incentives and Benefits for national athletes and coaches who won in international competitions. Meanwhile, cities hosting PAGCOR’s Casino Filipino branches also received P225.86 million.
Tengco cited that with PAGCOR’s remarkable performance in the first half of the year, the agency is projecting at least P272.74 billion revenues by the end of 2023.
“We have already hit approximately P136.37 billion Gross Gaming Revenue or GGR in the first semester. With the favorable business environment that we have right now, we are hopeful that we can reach or even surpass our revenue targets and contribute more to nation-building.”
Gaming
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Asia
Mythpat, GamerFleet, Piyush Joshi Gaming: India’s popular Minecraft Players Gear Up for the Ultimate Battle in Creators Rumble
Get ready to dive into an electrifying, one-of-a-kind gaming spectacle as India’s most talented gamers face off in the much-anticipated Minecraft tournament titled Creators Rumble, an initiative by OP Gaming, a subsidiary of OpraahFx. This event is set to bring together India’s top Minecraft creators, who will challenge each other and display their mastery over the game in a thrilling competition spanning three rounds which includes Parkour, MLG and PvP.
This event marks the first time that India’s top Minecraft influencers and gaming creators unite in an official tournament format, bringing fans and players alike a whole new level of excitement.
Divided into six teams of four members, they will face off across action-packed Minecraft rounds designed to test every skill—from strategy and creativity to adaptability and teamwork.
Mythpat aka Mithilesh Patankar, one of India’s leading Youtuber and gaming influencers, shared his excitement saying, “Creators Rumble will be a chance to bring the Minecraft gaming community closer, strengthening bonds among creators and igniting excitement for both fans and gamers. India has a huge Minecraft fanbase, and this tournament will introduce even more gamers to the fun of Minecraft.”
The inaugural edition of Creators Rumble will tap into Minecraft’s worldwide popularity, which has grown steadily since its release. In October 2023, Mojang Studios, the game’s developer, revealed it has sold over 300 million copies, making Minecraft the best-selling video game in history. Players of all ages continue to be captivated by its open-ended gameplay and limitless creative potential, where they can build worlds and structures limited only by their imagination.
Anticipating the prospects Mansi Gupta, Chief Business Officer at OpraahFx, emphasized on the industry impact saying, “India’s gaming landscape is thriving, and we believe that the nation has the potential to emerge as one of the world’s biggest pools of gaming talent. The Creators Rumble is a platform for growth, not only for seasoned players but for the entire creator economy. We’re here to support these creators as they captivate audiences with their talents in Minecraft.”
The Creator’s Rumble will see iconic players Mythpat (Mithilesh Patankar) and Gamerfleet (Anshu Bisht) showcasing some exhilarating gaming experience joined by popular gaming creators, Piyush Joshi Gaming (younger brother of popular Indian YouTuber, Sourav Joshi), AndreoBee (Naveen Yadav), MC Addon (Dipanshu Prajapati), PSD1 (Prathamesh), Harshita (Harshita Shukla), ShadowShooter (Pankaj Kumar Sahoo), I.M.Kopi (Bibek Jung Kunwar), Proboiz (Paresh Solanki), Mr Lapis (Jitender Kumar), GameBeat (Nitin Tyagi), Risible Twins (Kartik and Kunal), Yug Playz (Yug Thakkar), Agnit Plays (Vinit Aggarwal), GamerJatin (Jatin Makhija), Spunky Insaan (Harshit Nema), Pahadi Gaming (Lokesh Karakoti), DevXD (Pankaj Dev), Ro9nie (Rohan Chhabra), Sidh4rth (Siddharth), CassalFx (Shrey Patel) and Dattrax Gaming (Harvest Dewangan).
With this monumental event, OP Gaming aims to further solidify India’s role in the global gaming landscape and showcase the extraordinary creativity and camaraderie of the Minecraft community.
The tournament is scheduled to take place on November 22 (Friday) and will be streamed live on the OP Gaming YouTube channel. Six teams – Team Redstone, Team Gold, Team Emeralds, Team Shulker, Team Amethyst, and Team Diamonds, will compete in a series of thrilling challenges, vying for the prestigious title and showcasing the finest Minecraft talent in India.
Gaming
THE BATTLE OF POLYTOPIA RELEASES NEW AQUARION SPECIAL SKIN IN LATEST UPDATE
Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia has today released a new Aquarion Special Skin, additional language options and balance updates to the recently reworked Aquarion tribe. Players will dive deep into the Ritiki Marshlands encountering a lost Aquarion outpost with the new skin known as “The Forgotten”.
Long ago, when the Aquarion Empire vanished beneath the waves. One remote outpost in the swampy atolls lost all contact, leading its inhabitants to believe they were the last of their kind. This forgotten tribe evolved in isolation, adapting to the marshy landscapes with squid-like appendages and unique abilities to command the swamp and its creatures.
Using the unique abilities of “The Forgotten”, players can build on water, summon giant squids, create speed enhancing bubbles, ride crocodiles, tame toads, and traverse their marshy terrains with ease.
In addition, the latest update to the game now offers expanded language options: Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Polish, Thai, Turkish & Vietnamese.
Christian Lövstedt, CEO of The Battle of Polytopia, commented: “I feel that this skin is one of the best we’ve created and has quickly become my personal favourite. Additionally, we have added Bubble Tech to the Aquarion Waterways, making that tribe even greater. With expanded language options and new gameplay mechanics, we’re inviting players to dive into the rich lore and strategy that make the Battle of Polytopia truly special.”
To celebrate the launch of the new update, Midjiwan hosted an exclusive livestream event, offering fans a unique look behind the scenes, live gameplay, and discussions with the development team – the livestream is available to watch now: The Forgotten livestrea m by Midjiwan.
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