The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has adjusted its Bingo for a Cause program so as to allow regional governments and participating non-profit organisations to raise even more cash for their charitable schemes.

Established in 1977, PAGCOR is responsible for licensing and regulating all forms of gambling in the Philippines, embracing a large range of commercial and charitable bingo competitions. The state-owned organisation additionally operates almost 40 land-based casinos, including Casino Filipino-branded venues in the communities of Angeles, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, San Nicolas, Malabon, Olongapo, and Tagaytay.  

Attractive Arrangement 

PAGCOR launched its Bingo for a Cause program some 21 years ago in order to temporarily license local governments and charitable enterprises to organise and run their own bingo draws. This program also allows such groups to agree to sell a minimum number of tickets at pre-specified prices to keep up to 40% of any resultant revenues. 

Similar schemes are run by regulators in several Canadian provinces, including Alberta and Ontario, as well as by the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission. Such activities in this latter jurisdiction are estimated to contribute around £200 million ($266 million) annually to a host of charitable causes, while organisations in the Philippines are thought to benefit to the combined tune of millions of dollars every year. 

Modern Modification

The Assistant Vice President of PAGCOR, Maria Teresa Ocampo, revealed the tweak to her organisation’s Bingo for a Cause program involves the launch of new packages permitting licensed groups to keep as much as half of any proceeds. She declared this revision is to moreover ‘allow communities and organisations to enjoy the fun and thrill of bingo games in a lawful way while contributing to worthy causes’.  

Ocampo stated the minimum ticket prices for these authorised bingo games have furthermore been lowered to as little as $1.78 ‘depending on the package an operator may choose’ so as to help push revenues ‘even higher depending on sales’. 

Competition Clause 

Colloquially known as ‘Community Bingo’, Bingo for a Cause was established at the request of numerous non-profit groups from across the Philippines, which is home to over 114 million people. PAGCOR detailed licensed operators are also required to conduct their games at specified venues situated well away from the in-house bingo operations offered by its Casino Filipino-branded venues.  

“Like any game of chance, only PAGCOR has the mandate to authorise bingo activities; hence, bingo games without PAGCOR’s permission are illegal,” Ocampo said.

 “We thus remind our partner communities and organisations to first coordinate with PAGCOR’s bingo department if they plan to organise bingo events and explore partnership opportunities with us.”