It was a huge disappointment to many when the Covid-19 pandemic postponed SiGMA’s Manila 2020 event to 2021, but it brought about a huge new opportunity. SiGMA-ICE Asia and SiGMA Deep Tech Summit, running from June 8 to 10, came about at the perfect time as the gambling industry starts to get its arms around the challenge in front of it, and kept its focus on the Philippines with a few important presentations about the country on Day 1 of the conference.

The day began with a keynote presentation from Andrea Domingo, Chairperson and CEO of the Philippines Amusement and Gambling Corporation (PAGCOR). She didn’t dance around the central issue of the pandemic, noting right away that, “In the Philippines we’re suffering as much as everybody else.”

Domingo focused first on the health and economic wellbeing of those under PAGCOR’s supervision, committing to healthy working conditions and continued employment of the 132,000 direct hires of the gaming industry.  “And third we have to maximize revenue collection because our government, like all governments, needs the money not only to fight COVID but to buy a vaccine, to do massive testing, support hospitals and also to jumpstart the economy after the COVID crisis is over,” she added.

She also specifically thanked SiGMA for hosting the conference. She said she hopes that the Philippines gambling sector could take some lessons away from it, and improve as a result.