Manila: The local gaming industry’s gross gaming revenues (GGR) continued to post strong growth in the first quarter of the year, growing by over 27 percent, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said. In a statement on Wednesday, PAGCOR reported that the GGR reached PHP104.12 billion in the first quarter of this year, marking a 27.44 percent increase year-on-year.

According to Philippines News Agency, the e-games and e-bingo segment made history by becoming the industry’s top revenue driver for the first time, contributing PHP51.39 billion or 49.36 percent of the total first quarter GGR. PAGCOR chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco highlighted this shift as a sign of changing consumer behavior towards digital, on-demand gaming experiences, accelerated by greater access to mobile technology.

Tengco emphasized that the rise of the e-games industry is reshaping the Philippine gaming landscape. “As digital platforms take center stage, the Philippine gaming industry is likewise undergoing a paradigm shift. Hence, our goal as a regulator is to strike the right balance between innovation, player protection and long-term industry sustainability,” he stated.

Licensed casinos, which have historically been the largest contributors to the total GGR, generated PHP49.28 billion, accounting for 47.32 percent of the industry’s total. Despite a minor decline in revenues from licensed casinos compared to last year’s figures due to increasing digital competition, Tengco noted that this segment still shows sustained strength and relevance. He added, “The performance of brick-and-mortar casinos remains critical to industry stability, particularly in tourism-driven hubs such as Entertainment City and Clark.”

Meanwhile, PAGCOR-operated casinos generated PHP3.45 billion in revenues, making up about 3.31 percent of the total GGR.