The Philippine gaming giant, known locally for gambling platforms such as BingoPlus and ArenaPlus, withdrew from the final rounds of New Zealand's licensing auction just two months after announcing plans to enter the market.
“After further market analysis and determination of market values, the Company has decided to abstain from the final rounds of the New Zealand auction on the right to apply for an online gaming license. This results in no impact on the Company's businesses or deviation from the Company's international expansion strategy,” DigiPlus said in an Oct. 14 disclosure.
New Zealand had offered DigiPlus a chance to enter a newly regulated online casino market, where up to 15 licenses were expected to be auctioned ahead of the planned Dec. 1 launch.
South Africa remains in play
The withdrawal comes as DigiPlus' planned expansion into Brazil faces regulatory uncertainty, complicating its ambitions to build a gaming business beyond the Philippines.
That leaves South Africa as another overseas market DigiPlus is pursuing, following its earlier decision to seek a gaming license there.
Despite abandoning New Zealand, DigiPlus maintained that its decision would not affect its existing operations or change its international expansion strategy.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
