Bloomberry’s FUNaloMAX looks to expand Philippines digital presence with US$473,000 year-end campaign

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The Backstory

Bloomberry’s online push moves from launch phase to retention

Bloomberry Resorts Corp.’s Php30 million year-end campaign for FUNaloMAX marks a shift in the company’s digital strategy from product rollout to sustained player retention. The operator of Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire Resort Quezon City is no longer merely testing whether its casino brand can travel online. It is now spending to keep players active, lengthen engagement cycles and defend share in a Philippine market where digital gaming is expected to carry much of the industry’s growth through the end of the decade.

The campaign’s mix of weekly draws, monthly incentives and high-value prizes such as a Tesla Model 3 and iPhones is designed to give players repeated reasons to return. That structure matters in an online market where customer acquisition can be expensive and loyalty is hard to secure. FUNaloMAX awards entries based on accumulated turnover on eligible slot and bingo games, a design that ties rewards directly to platform activity rather than one-time registration or short-term promotions.

The timing also reflects broader pressure on integrated resort operators to diversify beyond the casino floor. Land-based resorts in the Philippines remain powerful cash generators, but digital channels offer a path to reach younger, mobile-first players and build revenue outside the constraints of property visits. Bloomberry has been positioning FUNaloMAX as the mass-market side of that strategy, while Solaire Online serves premium customers who want a closer digital extension of the resort experience.

A strategy built on owning the platform

The current FUNaloMAX campaign follows Bloomberry’s decision to build and operate its own online technology rather than rely entirely on third-party platforms. In July, the company launched FUNaloMAX for younger, mobile-first Filipino players, describing it as an in-house platform designed around familiar local gaming formats, live interaction and mobile use.

That launch was presented as more than a new product. Bloomberry President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Hawkins said the company had made a deliberate investment in controlling its own technology, giving it more influence over the product experience and reducing dependence on outside platform providers. The distinction is important in a market where other integrated resorts have leaned on technology partners to enter online gaming more quickly.

By owning the platform, Bloomberry can integrate promotions, customer data, content decisions and player controls more tightly across its digital offerings. The year-end campaign is an example of that approach. Instead of a generic acquisition promotion, it is structured around repeat engagement, broad game categories and an extended campaign window from mid-October through late December, a peak period for consumer spending and entertainment activity in the Philippines.

Bloomberry’s broader digital framework also separates audiences. FUNaloMAX is aimed at mass and mainstream premium users, with bolder presentation and interactive formats. Solaire Online is designed for higher-tier customers seeking a quieter, more premium experience tied to the group’s land-based brand. That segmentation gives the company room to scale online without diluting the Solaire brand’s luxury positioning.

From MegaFUNalo to FUNaloMAX

Bloomberry’s online ambitions began taking shape before the current campaign. The company first moved into the Philippine online gaming market with a digital platform that combined casino games with free movie streaming. The site, then branded MegaFUNalo, offered poker, roulette, blackjack, slots, arcade games and streaming content from Viva films, alongside payment options through UnionBank, GCash, GrabPay and BPI.

That early version showed Bloomberry was trying to differentiate itself from rival gaming apps by adding entertainment layers beyond standard casino content. Analysts noted at the time that the combination of games and movies gave the platform a different look from competitors whose products often appeared similar. But the early model also carried risks. Heavy promotional spending, revenue-sharing arrangements with third-party developers and competition from established digital entertainment brands threatened to weigh on profitability.

FUNaloMAX can be read as the more focused successor to that experiment. The emphasis has moved toward regulated gaming, live formats, user engagement and brand-controlled technology. The product still leans into entertainment, but its purpose is clearer: to build a scalable digital gaming ecosystem under Bloomberry’s own operating standards.

The latest campaign therefore fits into a longer transition. Bloomberry first tested the market with a differentiated entertainment proposition, then refined its digital portfolio into two core platforms with distinct target users. Its current challenge is to convert visibility into durable revenue. Promotions can bring attention, but sustained growth depends on whether players remain active after the prizes are awarded.

Content depth becomes a competitive lever

Bloomberry has also been working to expand the game libraries behind its online platforms. Light & Wonder reached an agreement with Solaire to bring its titles to both Solaire Online and FUNaloMAX, while also giving Solaire access to aggregation partners through Light & Wonder’s network. The supplier had become the first international accredited systems aggregator and game content provider licensed by PAGCOR in the Philippines.

The Light & Wonder content agreement with Solaire’s online platforms added another layer to Bloomberry’s strategy. Player incentives can increase traffic, but content variety is essential to keeping users engaged. Land-based game franchises that are already familiar on Solaire’s casino floors may help bridge the gap between resort customers and online users, while aggregation can broaden the offering without requiring Bloomberry to build every game in-house.

This is particularly important as the Philippines’ online gaming market becomes more crowded. Operators are competing not only on brand recognition but also on content depth, payment reliability, user interface, trust, rewards and regulatory compliance. A platform with limited content risks high churn, even if promotions are attractive. Conversely, broader game libraries can make loyalty programs more effective by giving users more reasons to continue playing within the same ecosystem.

The year-end FUNaloMAX campaign, viewed alongside the Light & Wonder deal, suggests Bloomberry is pairing customer incentives with supply-side expansion. One effort draws users in; the other gives them more to do once they arrive. The outcome will help determine whether Bloomberry can use its land-based reputation to gain online scale against competitors that were built primarily for digital channels.

Interactive entertainment widens the target market

Bloomberry has not confined its online strategy to conventional casino games. It also introduced OnlyFun.PH, a regulated live interactive entertainment platform under the FUNaloMAX umbrella. The platform combines gaming, livestreaming and creator-led content, allowing users to interact with hosts and digital personalities while accessing gaming features.

OnlyFun.PH broadens the addressable market by aligning Bloomberry’s gaming business with consumer behavior shaped by livestreaming, mobile entertainment and creator culture. For younger users, real-time interaction and social content can be as important as the underlying game. The platform’s structure indicates that Bloomberry sees online gaming less as a direct copy of the casino floor and more as part of a wider digital entertainment habit.

The regulatory framing is also central. Bloomberry has stressed that OnlyFun.PH operates under PAGCOR regulation and includes know-your-customer checks, data security measures and player controls. In a market where offshore and unregulated gaming have drawn political and enforcement scrutiny, licensed operators are trying to turn compliance into a competitive advantage. Trust, payment security and responsible gaming tools are part of the value proposition.

That positioning also supports FUNaloMAX’s current campaign, which Bloomberry says is built around transparency and player trust. Large prizes can attract attention, but in a regulated gaming market they also raise expectations around fairness, clarity and eligibility. The company’s ability to present promotions as structured, auditable and responsible will influence how regulators, players and investors assess the campaign.

Digital growth becomes part of the earnings story

Bloomberry’s digital push is unfolding against a mixed financial backdrop. The company has continued to generate higher gross gaming revenue, but its results have been affected by weakness in VIP and premium mass segments, currency pressure, elevated oil prices and higher interest rates. In its second-quarter 2026 results, Bloomberry said GGR rose 15% year-on-year to Php16.4 billion, while its consolidated net loss narrowed sharply to Php345.3 million from Php1.4 billion a year earlier.

Chairman and Chief Executive Enrique Razon Jr. said at the time that Bloomberry was advancing its digital strategy through the commercial launch of FUNaloMAX on its proprietary platform, with Solaire Online expected to join that platform. The company linked its online offerings to incremental revenue growth and an improved customer experience in future quarters.

The stakes are clear. Bloomberry wants online gaming to become a meaningful contributor to group revenue rather than an experimental add-on. Hawkins has told Inside Asian Gaming that the company wants its online platforms to contribute 20% of groupwide gross gaming revenue by the end of 2027. Reaching that target would require more than successful launches. It would require repeated campaigns, stronger content pipelines, effective segmentation and disciplined spending.

FUNaloMAX’s year-end campaign is therefore a test of execution. It will show whether Bloomberry can use its brand, proprietary technology and promotional budget to build recurring digital engagement in a market that is growing quickly but becoming more competitive. If it succeeds, online gaming could become a stabilizer when land-based segments soften. If it falls short, the costs of acquiring and retaining players could limit the margin benefits of digital expansion.