Solaire operator Bloomberry launches new OnlyFun.PH igaming and entertainment platform

Dig Deeper

The Backstory

Bloomberry’s digital pivot moves from casino extension to entertainment ecosystem

Bloomberry Resorts Corp.’s launch of OnlyFun.PH marks the latest stage in a digital strategy that has been building for more than a year: move Solaire’s casino brands beyond physical integrated resorts and into a regulated online entertainment market where gaming, livestreaming and creator-led content increasingly overlap.

The company is positioning OnlyFun.PH as part of its FUNaloMAX platform rather than as a stand-alone casino app. That distinction matters. Bloomberry is trying to broaden the appeal of online gaming by wrapping it in formats familiar to younger, mobile-first consumers: live studios, streamers, interactive shows and real-time social features. The strategy reflects a wider shift in the Philippine market, where operators are trying to differentiate in a crowded field while adapting to tighter rules on payments, marketing, identity checks and safer gaming.

Bloomberry’s online push began with a more conventional but still differentiated product. The company first moved into digital gaming through MegaFUNalo, an online gaming platform with free movie streaming, combining casino games with entertainment content from Viva. That early effort signaled that Bloomberry did not intend to compete only on game libraries or promotions. It wanted an online product that could look less like a transactional betting site and more like a consumer entertainment app.

FUNaloMAX became the foundation for a segmented online strategy

The later launch of FUNaloMAX for younger, mobile-first Filipino players sharpened that approach. Bloomberry described the platform as an in-house product built around familiar Filipino gaming traditions, arcade-style mechanics and a 24/7 live studio. The company contrasted FUNaloMAX with Solaire Online, which was designed as a digital extension of the premium and VIP experience associated with the Solaire resorts.

That split established two lanes for Bloomberry’s online business. Solaire Online targets higher-tier customers seeking continuity with the company’s luxury casino properties. FUNaloMAX is aimed at the broader mainstream premium market, where speed, flexibility, mobile access and live interaction are more important. OnlyFun.PH sits squarely in the second lane but expands the concept further by adding creators and livestreaming as a core part of the product rather than a promotional layer.

The decision to build and control proprietary technology also set Bloomberry apart from other Philippine integrated resort operators that have leaned more heavily on third-party infrastructure. President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Hawkins said at the time of FUNaloMAX’s launch that the company had made a deliberate investment in its own platform, reducing dependence on outside systems. That investment is now central to the OnlyFun.PH rollout because creator-led live programming, player controls, customer verification and game integration require a platform that can be adjusted quickly as consumer behavior and regulation change.

Content supply and aggregation are becoming strategic priorities

Technology alone is not enough in online gaming. Operators also need a stream of recognizable games and fresh content to keep users engaged. Bloomberry has been adding to that pipeline through supplier partnerships, including a deal under which Light & Wonder games and aggregation partners will go live on Solaire Online and FUNaloMAX.

That agreement gives Bloomberry access not only to Light & Wonder titles but also to content from partners available through the supplier’s aggregation platform. The supplier had become the first international accredited systems aggregator and game content provider licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., giving it regulatory standing in a market where compliance is now central to expansion.

The Light & Wonder deal also illustrates how Bloomberry is trying to connect its land-based and online businesses. Popular casino-floor franchises can be carried into digital channels, helping customers recognize products while giving Bloomberry a way to cross-market between Solaire’s physical resorts and its apps. OnlyFun.PH adds another dimension by using personalities, hosts and streamers to drive engagement around that content. In practice, the company is trying to combine three assets: the Solaire brand, licensed gaming content and live digital entertainment.

This is a response to one of the central problems in online gaming: commoditization. Many platforms offer similar slots, table games and promotions. Bloomberry’s bet is that live interaction and creator-led programming can provide a more distinct consumer experience, while proprietary technology and licensed content protect the commercial model from becoming just another skin over a generic platform.

Regulation has raised the cost of operating but favored licensed incumbents

The timing of OnlyFun.PH is also shaped by a tougher Philippine regulatory environment. The market has faced pressure from tighter Know Your Customer procedures, advertising limits, deposit caps and restrictions on credit card and cryptocurrency funding. The central bank’s 2025 order suspending e-wallet links to online gaming platforms added further friction by removing in-app shortcuts from popular wallet services.

Analysis from Arden Consult, covered in a review of the Philippines’ online gaming slowdown and recovery, argued that the downturn was caused by the cumulative weight of regulation rather than any single measure. E-wallet rails remained open for licensed operators, but users had to navigate more steps to fund accounts. At the same time, real-time selfie checks, safer gaming requirements and the new PAGCOR framework increased operating complexity.

Those changes reduced near-term volumes across the market, with online gaming revenue falling from its 2025 peak before beginning to recover. But the same pressures may also benefit larger licensed operators with capital, compliance systems and established brands. Bloomberry’s emphasis on PAGCOR regulation, KYC procedures, data security and player controls in the OnlyFun.PH launch reflects that reality. The company is not presenting compliance as a back-office function. It is making it part of the product’s legitimacy.

That distinction is important in a market where policymakers and regulators are weighing consumer protection concerns against tax revenue, employment and the growth of regulated digital entertainment. Operators that can show stronger controls may be better positioned to expand, especially as regulators scrutinize advertising, payments and underage access.

Online growth is tied to Bloomberry’s broader earnings recovery

Bloomberry’s digital expansion is not occurring in isolation. It is part of a broader effort to offset softness in parts of the land-based casino business and improve group earnings. In its recent results, the company reported stronger gross gaming revenue and a narrower loss, while Chairman and Chief Executive Enrique Razon Jr. pointed to the online strategy as a source of incremental growth.

In Bloomberry’s second-quarter update, Razon said FUNaloMAX had launched commercially on the company’s proprietary platform and that Solaire Online would join it soon. The company reported gross gaming revenue of 16.4 billion pesos, up 15% from a year earlier, while cutting its consolidated net loss to 345.3 million pesos from 1.4 billion pesos. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 35% to 3.4 billion pesos.

Those numbers show why digital channels are strategically important. Bloomberry is operating in a challenging macroeconomic environment marked by high interest rates, oil prices and currency pressure, while VIP and premium mass segments have remained uneven. Online products offer a way to reach customers outside the casino floor, create more frequent engagement and build revenue without relying entirely on travel, tourism or high-end gaming demand.

The stakes are significant. Hawkins has said Bloomberry wants online platforms to contribute 20% of group gross gaming revenue by the end of 2027. OnlyFun.PH is therefore more than a product launch. It is a test of whether a Philippine integrated resort operator can build a regulated digital entertainment ecosystem that attracts mass-market users, keeps premium customers in the Solaire orbit and satisfies regulators at the same time.

The next test is whether livestreaming can convert attention into durable revenue

OnlyFun.PH places Bloomberry in a fast-evolving intersection of gaming, social media and entertainment. Filipino consumers are heavy users of mobile content, livestreaming and creator platforms, making the format commercially logical. But the model will have to prove that engagement can translate into sustainable revenue while meeting responsible gaming expectations.

The company’s gradual rollout of original programs, interactive features and additional creator partnerships suggests it is treating the platform as an evolving media product, not a finished app. That gives Bloomberry room to test formats, refine compliance tools and adjust to player behavior. It also raises execution risk, because live content requires constant production, moderation and audience development.

If Bloomberry succeeds, OnlyFun.PH could strengthen the company’s position as the Philippine operator most aggressively integrating land-based casino credibility with locally tailored digital entertainment. If it falls short, the launch will underscore how difficult it is to stand out in a regulated online gaming market where compliance costs are rising and consumer attention is expensive to capture. Either way, the platform is a clear signal that Bloomberry sees its next phase of growth extending well beyond the casino floor.