Gambling and Gaming Industry

[venntro]

GMA declares former San Lazaro racetrack a tourism economic zone
Updated February 26, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has declared the former site of the San Lazaro race track in Sta. Cruz, Manila owned by the Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) as a tourism economic zone.

Pursuant to the proclamation, MJCI and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA signed yesterday the registration agreement entitling the listed horse race track operator to develop and operate several parcels of land consisting of 74,244 square meters as a tourism economic zone with information technology component.

The special economic zone, to be known as the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park, will be developed in joint venture with property giant Ayala Land Inc.

ALI is currently building residential and commercial complexes, including one 14-story BPO building, in the area.

MJCI Investments Inc., a unit of MJCI, is allotting P383 million to put up and operate a Pagcor-accredited casino/hotel project in a 1.6-hectare lot.

Last year, MJCI secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s nod to run a casino, which would have an initial 200 slot machines and 10 gaming tables.

Once the casino building is completed, MJCI will start planning for the construction of a hotel adjacent to the establishment.

Incorporated in March 1937, MJCI is currently engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of a racetrack located in Cavite and holding of horse races therein with bettings both directly or indirectly by means of mechanical, electric and computerized totalizator.

The company is also engaged in the development and sale of residential complex through joint venture arrangements with developers.

In 2005, the company entered into a joint development agreement with the Ayala Group’s Avida Land Corp. and Community Innovations Inc. to develop lots within its Manila property into residential condominium buildings and townhouses. — Zinnia dela Peña

[kiretoce]

Of slumdogs and millionaires

Hats off to Danny Boyle and the success of Slumdog Millionaire, but am I alone in thinking that an equally infectious rags-to-riches story could have been cooked up here in the Philippines, with Filipino actors, dancers, humor and squalor? The feel-good depiction of Mumbai, poverty and all, doesn’t hold a candle to Filipinos, said to be the happiest people on earth. You could even have your own lottery game as the centerpiece, though somehow 6/49 Lotto doesn’t have the same ring as Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Watching the entire nation lining up for Lotto tickets last week, I couldn’t help but notice how democratizing it all is. You see folks from every social strata, ticket form in hand, gamely inching forward in the queue; meanwhile, freshly scrubbed Land Cruisers and Expeditions pull up to the curb, depositing their househelp to take their place in line as the well-off owners sit inside in air-conditioned comfort (because you can never be too rich, or too lucky); and yes, even my wife and I, whittling down our number choices before joining the line. There’s something about a P300 million pot that gets most people believing in luck again.

Inside each little PCSO booth, you notice it’s very dark. One person dispenses hundreds of computer-generated tickets per hour, handling thick bundles of cash. Where does all the money fit? Who takes it out of there on a regular basis? How much money passes through such hands, on a national basis? According to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office website, ticket sales for 2006 amounted to P9.6 billion. By law, the PCSO reserves 30 percent of that for designated charities — regional hospitals, TB, cancer and dialysis centers and the like — while 55 percent goes to the winning “pot” and 15 percent goes to operating expenses.

But the fact is, in a nation of 90 million, with millions lining up for the big payoff, only a few people per year will ever get rich. For the vast legions of Lotto believers, it has thus become an alternate religion: one believes there is a chance, if one has faith.

Contrast that with the denizens of Slumdog Millionaire. Notice how the Indian nation, at least in the movie, is focused on a game show that requires brains? Not just dumb luck? Notice how people are cheering at a display of intelligence as a way of breaking the shackles of poverty? The implicit message: brains plus honest effort will take you far.

I can’t help thinking Lotto offers a very different message. Watching the big televised Friday night drawing, dolled up like a noontime variety show with slithery dancers in the background, confetti and even a theme song (some chirpy thing about “Play the Lotto every day…”), it seems what is being offered is more escapism, dreaming, quick-buck thinking, with little or no emphasis on achievement. It’s all down to luck, this crazy thing called success.

In Slumdog Millionaire, many of the same elements of Filipino life — the daily struggles for food and work, the squatter areas, the beggar syndicates, the growing sub-economy of the call centers — are played up. This could have been a Filipino movie sweeping the Oscars instead. More quick-buck dreaming? No, just like Lotto, it’s all about the right combination: the right script, the right actors, the right story, and the right tone (and tone is very critical to worldwide attention).

Sure, Jamal, the kid who walks away rich in the movie, doesn’t have access to a lot of books and education. He’s indifferent to self-improvement; he’s just trying to get by. But it’s the effort to succeed that inspires audiences. And that effort is coupled with prodigious brainpower.

Contrast this with Lotto, with its pseudo-mystical belief in “lucky” combinations and talismanic sequences. It has little to do with effort. It has nothing to do with knowledge. It subscribes to a faith-based, bahala na approach to life’s vicissitudes.

But hey, if that’s the material Filipino filmmakers have to work with, then make the story about that.

This emphasis on get-rich-quick schemes reminds me, of course, of American lending institutions and the widespread greed that led many people to lose fortunes in stocks and even woollier investments. The Madoffs, Stanfords and others like them who swindled people are only half the equation; many people bet the farm because they wanted to get rich overnight. The vision of America becoming a nation of stockholders (as pushed by Bill Clinton) came home to roost. Paper wealth, and its dreams, does not stand up to the vicissitudes of the market. I think it’s in the Bible somewhere.

There was something of that in US President Obama’s speech to Congress the other day, in which he asked Americans to pledge themselves to completing at least a year of higher education. Whether it’s a year of community college, master’s work or a fellowship program, Obama’s inner geek sees the critical need for Americans to keep pace, intellectually, with the rest of the world. The fact that he even mentioned it in his televised speech says a lot about this administration’s priorities (in contrast to his predecessor’s).

Maybe Slumdog Millionaire does espouse a rags-to-riches mentality, pinning one’s hopes on a TV game show. Maybe believing that hard work and mental effort will make you wealthy is as illusory as picking a magical sequence of six numbers. But Lotto amounts to something a little less praiseworthy: spreading out your hopes over 52 weeks of eagerly anticipated luck per year. It’s the small gambles in life that can chip away at achievement.

[venntro]

Pacific Online lotto sales jump 38% in 2 mos on record jackpot
Updated March 03, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Pacific Online Systems Corp., the exclusive online lottery system provider of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in the Visayas and Mindanao, posted a 38- percent jump in lotto sales in the first two months of the year on record sales last month.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Pacific Online chief financial officer Rhederick Inciong said year-to-date PCSO lotto sales hit P1.46 billion, largely due to new terminal openings and strong support from the betting public.

In February alone, PCSO lottery sales surged 67 percent to P859.4 million from P513.2 million the same month a year ago. Lotto fever mounted as the jackpot reached P347.8 million – the largest in the history of the country’s lottery.

Improved sales of PCSO’s instant scratch cards and contributions from unit Lucky Circle Corp. also boosted Pacific Online’s financial position.

Lucky Circle sells seven instant scratch games – Mega Money, Fast Cash, Jack En Poy, Gold Rush, Pot of Gold, Red Hot 7’s and Double Dollars – in lotto outlets in SM malls and supermarkets.

Last year, Pacific Online registered profit of P740 million, up 48 percent from the 2007 level. Total PCSO lotto sales in the Visayas and Mindanao reached a record P6.49 billion or 35 percent higher than the P4.79 billion in 2007, mainly due to the addition of 200 lottery terminals.

As of end-2008, Pacific Online had a total of 1,600 lottery terminals in the Visayas and Mindanao. – Zinnia Dela Peña

[venntro]

Grand Utopia official lashes back at Palafox


SUBIC BAY Freeport: A top official of the controversial $120-million hotel and casino that has become the subject of environmental concern has finally lashed back at its former architect who turned into the project’s No. 1 critic after being sidelined from the project.

In a statement, Executive Manager Eric Ghi-Buhm Park said that Grand Utopia Inc. is deeply disappointed that their former architect Felino Palafox Jr. began criticizing their Subic Project in the media using documents of their company.

“By coming out in the media and speaking before various public gatherings [while] criticizing our Subic project, the architect has committed a breach not only of the provisions of the subcontract agreement but also of professional ethics,” Park added.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza also inspected the project site last January and confirmed that the trees remained intact at the project site.

“If architect Palafox, as our professional local architect, was sincerely concerned about the trees from the very beginning, wasn’t it his responsibility to advise his client Grand Utopia of an alternative solution instead of publicly criticizing his client’s project in an unethical way with all exaggerations?” Park rued.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Armand Arreza in a separate statement is urging the critics of the project to be objective and stop sensationalizing the issue that has only delayed the project.

“We still think that this project would be beneficial to the Subic Bay Freeport, especially with the projected manpower hiring of about 5,000. It’s a project proposal that we have to evaluate objectively,” Arreza said.

Arreza made the appeal after the Special Committee on Bases Conversion of the House of Representatives on Tuesday conducted its initial hearing on two resolutions seeking to investigate claims made by noted architect Palafox.

The project remained on hold since November last year after Palafox’s claims triggered protests from environmental groups concerned about trees at the project site.

The SBMA official also bared project proponent Grand Utopia Inc. has already asked the SBMA to give them an alternate location since the allegations have caused the project much delay.
--Anthony Bayarong

[bombastic]

Ano update sa pagcor project sa roxas blvd?

[in_a_rush]

Originally Posted by bombastic

Ano update sa pagcor project sa roxas blvd?

pls go to its own thread

[bombastic]

meron ba? sige hanapin ko

[in_a_rush]

Originally Posted by bombastic

meron ba? sige hanapin ko

oo. 3 thread nga eh!

[venntro]

SBMA chief blames Palafox for casino project delay
By Ayen Infante
03/12/2009


The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) accused yesterday noted Filipino architect Felino Palafox Jr. of economic sabotage for causing the delay of the $80-million Ocean�s 9 casino project of Korean proponent Grand Utopia Inc.

Palafox was commissioned to oversee the design of the casino project.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza indicated that Palafox was trying to pressure the Korean firm to relocate the project near a resort in which the architect has a stake.

Despite the controversy, Arreza said he was able to convince the Korean firm to stay but would give support in finding another location for the project.

Arreza said SBMA is considering two separate sites to relocate the project but has yet to finalize the details with the proponent whom Arreza said was deeply discouraged by the alleged environmental issue raised by Palafox on the project.

Grand Utopia which is a state-run entity in Korea or the counterpart of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. was seriously thinking of another site to operate its casino business.

Arreza said the world-class reputation and features of Subic in accommodating its investors has helped him convince the Korean firm not to relocate the project away from the Subic Freeport.

�Now that every economy in the region is in crisis for investments that could bring thousands of jobs to pump prime their economies, here we are with one notable architect who has succeeded in sabotaging the economy,� Arreza said.

Arreza further doubts the intentions of Palafox after learning from classified documents that which the architect wanted was to get the project situated near the Subic Coastal Development Corp. near the Moon Bay Marina where Palafox has a reported five percent ownership.

�It was his personal interest from day one to move the project in an area where he has a business presence because we have documents furnished us by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he has five percent ownership in Subic Coastal,� Arreza said.

Apart from being successful in sabotaging the economy, Arreza added Palafox was also successful in giving Subic a very bad reputation.

Instead of seeing new construction activities in the freeport zone, the Palafox-made controversy has delayed the project for four months now. The delay is equivalent to $1 million a month in estimated expenses out of the pocket of the proponent.

Palafox had alleged the proposed casino when built at the original site would destroy 300 trees which Arreza said were all �lies� because even Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza and active environment groups have inspected the site and have not seen one single tree cut.

As far as Subic is concerned, the Palafox issue is already a closed case since SBMA and the DENR have stated again that the government will not allow any tree to be cut in Subic freeport zone.

The unnecessary delay will be the result of adjustments in the design of the building since the project would be relocated.

The proponent is requiring two hectares of property which Arreza said remains a big factor in finding an alternative site because there are few areas left in Subic suited for their requirement.

In spite of the problem, Arreza sees the realization of big-ticket project before the end of the year. �These are where investments that were deferred due to many reasons but have assured of coming by the 4th quarter of the year.�

SBMA is expecting $800 million in additional investments that would translate to job generation for more than 10,000 workers. Arreza projects to bring 150,000 jobs in 2010 or double from 86,000 made in 2008.

[venntro]

Pagcor City to create 200,000 jobs
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio Updated April 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - More than 200,000 jobs will be created from April to June as construction for resorts, hotels and restaurants in the PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) City will be in full swing during the second quarter.

In an interview, PAGCOR chairman and CEO Ephraim C. Genuino said construction will begin in the second quarter and employment created by investments in the PAGCOR City is estimated to exceed 200,000.

At the same time, Genuino announced that they are negotiating with three multinational firms that will bring in a minimum of $3 billion worth of new investments in the Las Vegas type city before the end of the year.

Genuino said he doesn’t know exactly how much these firms will put in the country but the minimum investment in the PAGCOR City is $1 billion. This means that the investment would be more than $3 billion.

He added that the new investments will bring in more jobs to the country.

Genuino refused to divulge who the new investors are saying only that they are from Europe, the United States and Korea. “These firms have global personalities,” he noted.

He said PAGCOR is in the process of reviewing the investment proposals. He said the study is expected to be completed within two to three months and the investment will hopefully come in before 2010.

He said investments for the PAGCOR City has deviated from amusement and has instead shifted to tourist attractions the entire family can enjoy. “Only three percent of the entire investments are geared towards gaming. Majority are tourist attractions.”

The Genting group of Malaysia and the Azure group, the Japanese partner of casino mogul Steve Wynn, each of which would be spending at least $3 billion, are the first two investors in the PAGCOR City.

The other is the investment of mall tycoon Henry Sy’s SM Investment Corp. The company is in talks with a US-based casino operator and is considering developing a one -1.2 hectare casino facility at an estimated cost of P2 billion to be rented to casino operators.

Earlier, Genuino said $20 billion would be spent in putting up the Entertainment City. The complex will be built in three phases on an 800 hectares of reclaimed land. The first phase will host a hotel-resort and theme park. The next two phases will have retirement villages and entertainment centers.

[venntro]

BCDA to start hosting casinos in John Hay

04/02/2009

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) will welcome the entry of casino operators inside Camp John Hay in Baguio City after such gaming operations were approved by the City Council of Baguio in 2003.

In a statement, BCDA explained the establishment of a casino in Camp John Hay became possible because the City Council of Baguio on Nov. 5, 2003, approved the planned operation of a gaming and entertainment complex inside the Camp by virtue of Resolution No. 248 which states: �Resolved, as it is hereby resolved, to approve, upon the request of the BCDA for guidance, the operation of a gaming and entertainment complex inside the John Hay Special Economic Zone subject to the condition that only tourists and members of Camp John Hay would be allowed to enter and participate in the gaming activities inside the said complex.�

The resolution was signed by Reinaldo Bautista Jr., who was then Acting Vice Mayor and Temporary Presiding Officer of the City Council. Acting Baguio City Mayor Elmer Datuin approved the resolution.

In July 2008, BCDA and Camp John Hay Development Corp. signed a Casino Cooperation Agreement that was meant to ensure BCDA�s commitment to process any application for a license or permit from concerned government entities whose function is not within the mandate of BCDA such as a casino franchise and tree cutting permits. Hence it is within this context that application for a casino franchise is processed and endorsed to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

However, in November 2008, the City Council made a turnabout, and came up with Resolution 446 opposing the establishment of a casino. This development created a situation where two City Council resolutions are in conflict with each other.

�It should be stressed that Pagcor under its charter shall obtain the consent of the local government unit that has territorial jurisdiction over the area chosen as the site for any of its operation before issuing any franchise, � it added.

[red_jasper]

Philweb sees profits doubling with e-cafés

LISTED PHILWEB Corp. expects core profits for 2009 to nearly double, citing significant growth in its gaming business.

At the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting yesterday, PhilWeb President Dennis O. Valdez said, "we are expecting that our core net income will reach P500 million this year, almost double that of last year."

The "main growth driver" will be casino and gaming businesses such as Sportsbetting, RESIBOnanza, and e-Games cafés which offer online poker games, among others.

As of April, profits have reached P13 million, "far better than the same period last year," he said.

PhilWeb has earmarked P70 million to P80 million for the acquisition of new computer equipment and servers this year, officials said.

"PhilWeb is planning to have at least 200 e-cafés for this year ... we already have 145 e-cafes," Mr. Valdez added.

The company also said P700 million worth of cash dividends will be distributed this year.

PhilWeb earned P98.6 million in profits for the first quarter of 2009, an increase of almost a fifth.

Revenues reached P167.55 million, higher by P78.7 million or 89% than the year-ago level of P88.83 million.

"Revenues for this year are expected to reach P675 million based on the current performance of the company," Mr. Valdez said.

[RonnieR]

so lucky bettors

Two lucky bettors to share P188-M Superlotto jackpot
----------------------------------------------------------------
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/28/2009 10:58 PM

The jackpot for the 6/49 SuperLotto has been won. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) draw on Tuesday yielded the winning combination of 28-3-47-49-5-19.

Dr Larry Cedro, PCSO spokesman, said two lucky bettors from Luzon won the jackpot. He said the prize money has reached P188,155,137.60 (US$4.03 Million).

Thousands of bettors have flocked Lotto outlets prior to the draw, hoping to get lucky and win the big payout.

The biggest Super Lotto jackpot was won by two persons last February, who shared between themselves the P347,836,903.20 jackpot.

So far, a total of 1,332 Filipinos have become millionaires since the agency launched online lottery in 1995 until December 31 last year.

Forty-two of the millionaires belong to the so-called "100 Million Club," those winning P100 million or more in the lottery.

as of 05/28/2009 10:58 PM

[c6josh]

Sunday lotto pot to reach P145-M
By BEN R. ROSARIO
August 28, 2009, 6:04pm
Manila Bulletin

Lotto betting stations throughout the country will continue to attract long queues until Sunday after last Thursday’s draw did not produce a winner for the P131,252,979.60 pot in the six-digit draw.

Conrado Zabella, PCSO assistant manager for on-line lottery, said Sunday’s jackpot for the 6/49 Super Lotto draw is expected to balloon to at least P145 million.

Zabella said no lucky bettor was able to bet on the Thursday winning combination of 11-13-15-40-47-49.

The jackpot of over P131 million jumped by at least P17 million from last Tuesday’s draw which gave a prize dividend of P114,727,662.

Nevertheless, Zabella said at least 44 bettors were able to get five numbers in the six-digit winning combination. A total of 2,418 correctly guessed four numbers while 55,560 won consolation prizes for correctly betting on three numbers.

Zabella also urged bettors to patronize the Power Lotto game which now offers a jackpot prize of over P75 million.

The PCSO official also aired hopes the other winner in the P347.8 million jackpot during the February 22 Lotto 49 draw will still surface to claim half of the prize money.

Zabella said the amount will go to charity if the holder of the winning reticket will not show up to claim his or her winnings within a year from the draw.

This developed as Don de Leon, chief of staff of Chairman Sergio Valencia of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, aired optimism that more Filipinos seeking medical assistance will benefit from the increasing charity funds the PCSO.

“We hope more of our countrymen will patronize PCSO lotteries. The more bets we get, the bigger the fund that goes to charity projects for the less privileged Filipinos,” he said.

[c6josh]

Alabang lotto bettor wins P151-M jackpot
By BEN R. ROSARIO
August 31, 2009, 8:05pm
Manila Bulletin

A Muntinlupa City bettor is richer by P150,952,935.60 for getting correctly the six-number combination in the Super Lotto 49 drawn Sunday night by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Conrado Zabella, PCSO assistant manager for on-line lottery, said that the jackpot winner placed his/her bet in the lotto outlet at Zenco Footsteps at 239 Montillano St., Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Zabella said nearly R20 million was added to the Sunday jackpot following a three-day betting frenzy that started Friday, when it was announced that no bettor won the R131 million Lotto 49 jackpot last Thursday.

The winning combination was 19-45-43-10-44-9.

“However, big sales are also expected within the next few weeks as a result of the attractive jackpot for our Power Lotto game which has reached over P70 million,” Zabella said.

Last Sunday’s lucky bettor may claim his jackpot prize during office hours starting today,” Zabella said.

The PCSO official also cautioned all bettors who won both the jackpot and consolation cash prizes to take good care of their tickets to avoid invalidation.

Recalling the February 22 Lotto 49 draw that gave out the record-high P347.8 million jackpot, Zabella said only one of two jackpot winners was able to show up at the PCSO to claim her prize.

“Maybe the other winner either lost or damaged the winning ticket. Nevertheless, the jackpot winner still has until next February to claim his prize,” said Zabella.

Don de Leon, chief of staff of PCSO Chairman Sergio Valencia, revealed that the unclaimed jackpot prize of about P173 million will go to charity if unclaimed.

De Leon said the PCSO remains hopeful a winner will still claim the jackpot for the February draw.

Last Sunday’s consolation prize winners include 154 bettors of five-number winning combinations; 4,143 for four numbers and 62,601 for three numbers.

[kousoushin]

Are real money trading sites such as ingamex.com.ph included in these gambling sites?

[kiretoce]

Cockfighting business gets a new twist The Cockhouse Corp.

Cockfighting, known as sabong in Filipino, is a spectator sport deeply ingrained in Filipino culture. The centuries-old rooster sport, which traces its roots to the Indus Civilization, was already in the country long before the Spaniards arrived in 1521.

It was against this backdrop that Raphael F. Vallente and Edmundo A. Gorgonio founded the "The Cockhouse," a cockfighting novelty store selling apparel, literature, DVDs, caps, and mugs that bear the rooster design.

The Cockhouse was an offshoot of a penchant for cockfighting novelty products, said Mr. Vallente, company president and chief executive officer.

The store started operations in 2005 with P600,000 in initial capital. Four years later, it has grown into six outlets — at the SM North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Mall of Asia, Duty Free Philippines, and the Gaisano Mall in Davao City.

From two employees at the onset, The Cockhouse now has 26 employees — 11 regular and 15 part-time.

The initial plan was to produce DVDs on cockfighting. Later on, the owners decided to include T-shirts and other novelty items in the store’s product line to satisfy customer demand.

"T-shirts are the company’s best-sellers in terms of quantity. But if we are talking about peso value, our DVD productions are the top-sellers since they are priced higher," said Mr. Vallente, a business management graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University.

"Even non-aficionados would still buy our t-shirts because of their good quality and creative designs," he added.

Mr. Vallente said the firm is also positioning its products as alternative gift items. "Many Filipinos have a friend or relative who is a cockfighting aficionado," he said.

The company has a three-pronged business strategy: brand, availability and visibility. Mr. Vallente makes sure that the company’s products are available and visible to the most number of cockfighting aficionados possible.

To build brand awareness at a minimal cost, The Cockhouse resorted to guerilla marketing tactics such as inserting leaflets in local cockfighting publications and selling in venues where big annual derbies are held.

"We also go directly to the manufacturer of our products to get the best price possible," Mr. Vallente said.

"Strict conservation practices also help us in keeping energy and transportation expenses at a minimum level."

The company has partnered with Video City, Odyssey, AstroVision, National Book Store, Tower Records and SM Records to market its DVD titles, the 39-year-old entrepreneur said.

The launch of the company’s Web site extended its reach to provincial and overseas Filipino clients since five of the company’s six outlets are Metro Manila-based.

Mr. Vallente believes that franchising is the best way to expand the company in the domestic market, even after having closed two franchises of the formerly eight-strong store network. "Franchising will help us reach our eight to 10 million potential customers in the country," he said.

The Cockhouse will soon sell products at Kultura shops in SM Malls and other Filipiniana stores, he added.

The company also hopes to tap the foreign market in the future. "Right now, we are receiving a lot of inquiries from foreigners on how they could franchise our business in their countries where cockfighting is legal," Mr. Vallente said.

He expressed optimism that The Cockhouse will meet its target of 20% growth this year. "We will be releasing six new t-shirt designs, eight new DVD titles, and additional novelty items by the end of the year," Mr. Vallente said.

"As for our estimate, we haven’t touched 10% of the total market," he added.

Competition is welcome in such a fledgling novelty item industry, according to Mr. Vallente. "But I’m confident that the company will succeed because we are the first player ... to read and understand our customers’ wants and needs," he said.

[c6josh]

I like cock fighting and it would be good for the sport to have a DVD collection, its one way of research on whose the best breeders and bloodlines in the industry.

[kiretoce]

Philippines Expands its Online Gambling Service

According to Philippine gambling laws, the only company allowed to offer gambling services to players in the Philippines is the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). PAGCOR is owned and controlled by the government, and holds a strong monopoly over all gambling in the country. While PAGCOR has offered limited online gambling services in the past, the company just unveiled a new site that seeks to expand the company’s online offerings.

The Philippines is actually home to dozens of online casinos and other internet gambling websites, but most of these sites cater exclusively to players in other countries, and cannot be accessed by locals. This new site, called E-Games Online, is operated by PhilSeb Homeplay, Inc., a Philippine company that specializes in internet gambling operations. PhilWeb already works with PAGCOR to provide a massive network of electronic gambling cafes across the country.

This new online gambling site in the Philippines was created to help PAGCOR maintain its monopoly over gambling in the country – a task which can be difficult when it comes to gambling online. Instead of trying to prevent Filipinos from using offshore gambling websites, the government is trying to provide local players with an attractive alternative. “This is an important step in fulfilling Pagcor’s mission to deliver secure, legal, fair and convenient games of chance to adults throughout the country,” said Dennis O. Valdes, PhilWeb president.

E-Games Online does have a certain amount of local appeal, since it caters specifically to Filipino players. The site even accepts local credit cards, and players can even make deposits in person at certain offices across the country. Many players, however, still choose to use one of the many other internet gambling sites that accept players from the Philippines – these sites offer more variety and a different level of services than what PAGCOR delivers.

[RonnieR]

INTERNATIONAL POKER TOURNAMENT IN MANILA

PAGCOR will be conducting one of the biggest in Asia and the biggest ever locally-organized poker tournament in the Philippines. “The First PAGCOR Chairman Efraim C. Genuino International Poker Tournament” guarantees a prize pool of US$1 Million.

The tournament is set on March 20 – 25, 2010 with eliminations at the Manila Pavilion Hotel in historic Manila, Philippines. It will be one of the main events of the 5th Asian Gaming and Entertainment Expo (Asia’s GEM) at the SMX Convention Center where the tournament’s final table will also be held.

The tournament shall showcase top international poker players. They shall be up against key players of licensed poker clubs and casinos from all over the Philippines to outlast each other and emerge as the last man (or woman) standing.

The event hopes to boost the poker industry in the Philippines and targets to bring slumbering poker talents in home games to come play it out at any of PAGCOR’s licensed poker clubs.
http://www.pagcor.ph/entertainment/p...r-million.html