Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | September 2011 60 Advertise with Inside Asian Gaming For advertising enquiries, please email: [email protected] or call +853 2832 9980 T he current debacle between the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and one of its licensees, Thunderbird Resorts, which operates two casinos outside the Philippines’ capital city of Manila, has understandably generated attention in the local press and in international publications. The article that appeared in the July 2011 issue of InsideAsian Gaming contained inaccuracies that depicted PAGCOR as a heavy-handed regulator with inconsistent policies. Nothing can be farther from the truth. No licence to operate The statement that PAGCOR “unilaterally tore up a revenue share agreement” is incorrect. Thunderbird simply did not have any authority to operate casinos after their licence expired in 2008. They were granted monthly extensions through 2009 but failed to obtain a regular licence until the new PAGCOR board of directors was installed in June 2010. Since then, Thunderbird had Philippines Gaming Regulation— the Untold Story PAGCOR responds—in its own words—to industry allegations of heavy-handedness and inconsistency reported in Inside Asian Gaming Shining example—PAGCOR says it takes care to separate its regulatory and operating wings PAGCOR