Traditional bingo is deeply ingrained in Filipino culture. Such gaming activities have served as a space where people from all walks of life get to enjoy, relax, and build meaningful connections with every game.
However, the unprecedented times brought by the pandemic changed the entire gaming industry amidst quarantine restrictions preventing any form of social gatherings. The public crisis also rapidly pushed digital adoption across the world. This comes amidst a digitally adept young demographic and a significant penetration of the Internet and smartphones in recent years.
This brought both a challenge and an opportunity for gaming and leisure company DigiPlus Interactive in leading digitalisation in the Philippine gaming industry whilst creating enjoyable experiences for its players across channels.
DigiPlus Interactive has launched BingoPlus in January 2022. It is the first digital platform where bingo-loving Filipinos can play with the convenience of time and place by bringing the game live online. BingoPlus leverages the company’s deep understanding of its customers whilst bringing in innovation and technologies to offer new entertainment product formats to more Filipinos.
BingoPlus’ brick-and-mortar or traditional bingo operations also complemented the foray into the digital space. DigiPlus Interactive currently operates at least 200 bingo halls in different parts of the Philippines, which continue to be popular amongst Filipinos.
The strong performance of BingoPlus propelled the robust growth of DigiPlus. In 2022, DigiPlus posted a turnaround in its financial performance, with a net income of ₱686.9m coming from a net loss of ₱894.6m in the previous year. Furthermore, in the first nine months of 2023, DigiPlus registered a net income of ₱2.1b, more than a tenfold growth from 2022.
As the first and only government-licensed digital bingo platform in the country, BingoPlus is reshaping the country’s gaming industry. Continuing to dominate the digital gaming space, BingoPlus has opened up new opportunities, triggering a proliferation of online gaming platforms in the Philippines. This healthy competition fosters innovation and creativity that fundamentally benefits the customers.
The platform has also since become a community and entertainment platform, a source of revenue for the Philippine government, and a contributor to various social and educational non-profit programmes.
“The success of BingoPlus has paved the way for [DigiPlus] to undertake a strategic transformation to position itself as a digital entertainment platform,” the company said. It added its plans of launching new and innovative game offerings to cater to broader demographics and lifestyle preferences.
The platform’s continued investment in research and development, as well as its efforts in revolutionising the digital gaming experience, has been lauded by the inaugural Asian Management Excellence Awards, with the company bringing home the Philippines Innovator of the Year – Media & Entertainment category win.
The coveted awards programme celebrates the finest business leaders, innovators, and companies in Asia, and commends exceptional achievements in the various aspects of operations, including employee engagement programmes, diversity and inclusion projects, and health and wellness initiatives.