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MANILA, Philippines — Digital entertainment firm DigiPlus Interactive Corp., which operates leading online gambling platforms, is set to join the ranks of the Philippine Stock Exchange’s (PSE) most actively traded companies, taking the spot of Bloomberry Resorts Corp.
This comes as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said online gambling is not a problem.
PSE President and CEO Ramon Monzon announced on Friday, August 8, the upcoming changes to the 30-member Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) roster, which will take effect on August 18.
DigiPlus’ portfolio spans online and land-based gaming platforms such as BingoPlus, a livestreamed digital bingo; ArenaPlus, an online sportsbook featuring local and international sports; SpinPlus, a slot games platform; and GameZone, which offers player-versus-player card games and betting.
All are licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR). DigiPlus' platforms reportedly have over P40 million registered users.
According to the PSE, DigiPlus has experienced relatively volatile trading since mid-June, with its share price fluctuating sharply. Its last traded price stood at P26.90 apiece on August 8, up 7.82% from the previous day's P24.95. The firm has over 4.9 billion shares with a market capitalization of over P112 billion.
Since August 2024, the digital entertainment firm's stock price has climbed steadily, reaching a peak of around P65 per share in early June 2025, only to drop in the following weeks and rise again by the end of July.
Its rival, Bloomberry Resorts Corp., also operates on online gambling platforms such as Solaire Online and MegaFUNalo!. The latest trading shows a sharp decline in its stock price, now at P3.74 apiece.
Despite having over 11 billion listed shares, more than DigiPlus', its market capitalization is only at P44.1 billion due to the significantly lower stock price.
The move comes after the PSE completed its regular review of trading activity from July 2024 to June 2025.
'Online gambling is not the problem'
Online gambling has dominated public discourse amid mounting reports of Filipino debt crises, addiction cases and family breakdowns. It has led legislators to file bills imposing stricter regulations on such platforms or a total ban, especially with its link to e-wallets.
While the public anticipated Marcos to address the issue in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), many were left disappointed by his silence on the matter.
Marcos finally explained in a recent interview why he stayed mum on the online gambling issue. He argued that online gambling isn't the problem. Instead, he believes the focus should be on combating the "social effects," particularly addiction, that are devastating Filipino families and children.
The president pointed to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) as an example, insisting the gambling platforms weren't to blame. The actual problems, he argued, stemmed from associated criminal activities including human trafficking, credit card scams and other illicit operations.
"It brings us to the same — the same situation with online gambling in general," Marcos said on August 7. "This is not a criminal enterprise."
Marcos to organize a conference
While still vague, Marcos bared initial plans to deal with the online gambling issue. Among those is crafting a policy by convening a conference with all stakeholders.
“We have to talk to the people... If we regulate, who will be doing the regulation? The first effect of banning it fully is to... put it underground and then we have no control,” he said.
PAGCOR and online gambling operators argue that stricter regulations, not total bans, are the answer to gambling addiction. Lawmakers, however, are heading in a different direction — with several expressing plans to lobby for outright prohibition.
RELATED: Why PAGCOR rejects total ban, favors stricter online gambling rules
“The children are getting addicted to gambling. Let’s focus on that. How do we stop that? These are the things that we are going to examine and we will come up with a plan to make sure that we address the problem,” Marcos said.
Gross revenue from the gaming industry has seen a surge in the first quarter of 2025, with P104 million reported by PAGCOR. Nearly half, or P51.39 billion, accounted for revenue from e-games.
With DigiPlus joining the big leagues of the PSEi, it will likely attract more investors to the firm.
