DigiPlus Interactive Corp., the Philippines’ largest online gaming operator, has confirmed via a Philippine Stock Exchange disclosure that it is evaluating the acquisition of Diamond Hotel Philippines as part of a strategy to build a consolidated USD 1 billion integrated resort complex along the Manila Bay waterfront. The company is simultaneously advancing the acquisition of the adjacent New Coast Hotel Manila, creating the prospect of a single contiguous entertainment and hospitality development on one of Manila’s most commercially significant seafront corridors.
Key Facts At A Glance
- DigiPlus confirmed in a Philippine Stock Exchange disclosure on 5 May 2026 that it is evaluating the acquisition of Diamond Hotel Philippines, but stated no definitive transaction has been made
- Diamond Hotel Philippines has approximately 480 rooms and is located on Roxas Boulevard in Manila’s Malate district, overlooking Manila Bay; it was originally built by Japan’s Shimizu Corp. in the early 1990s
- The hotel is owned by Ramon S. Ang, chairman and CEO of San Miguel Corp.; DigiPlus has reportedly submitted multiple offers, all of which have been rejected to date
- DigiPlus is separately acquiring a controlling 54% stake in International Entertainment Corp. (IEC), the Hong Kong-listed owner of New Coast Hotel Manila, via a HKD 1.6 billion (USD 205 million) convertible notes deal; the first tranche of HKD 800 million was completed on 3 March 2026
- The final payment of PHP 6 billion on the IEC convertible notes is expected by early June 2026
- New Coast Hotel Manila, also known as LaVie Resort and Casino, is connected to Diamond Hotel by a roof bridge, making site consolidation logistically straightforward
- IEC holds a provisional gaming license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to develop and operate an integrated casino resort in Manila until 2033
- Any consolidation of the two hotel assets is subject to review by the Philippine Competition Commission, a process that typically takes six to nine months
- DigiPlus posted full-year 2025 net income of PHP 12.6 billion (USD 220 million) and ended 2025 with a cash position of PHP 23.4 billion (USD 408 million)
DigiPlus Moves To Anchor Manila Bay’s Emerging Resort Corridor
DigiPlus Interactive Corp., best known in the Philippines for its mobile gambling platforms BingoPlus and ArenaPlus, has disclosed plans that would transform it into one of the country’s most significant land-based hospitality and gaming investors. In a filing to the Philippine Stock Exchange dated 5 May 2026, the company confirmed it is evaluating the acquisition of Diamond Hotel Philippines, a 480-room five-star seafront property on Roxas Boulevard in the Malate district, responding to an earlier report by local outlet InsiderPH that claimed discussions with the hotel’s owner had advanced to pricing and financing terms.
The company’s statement was careful in its language: DigiPlus “is exploring opportunities to expand into adjacent and complementary segments, aligned with its long-term strategy to develop a robust gaming and digital entertainment ecosystem,” but stated that “these plans remain under evaluation, and no definitive transactions have been made.”
The Strategic Logic: A Connected Waterfront Site
The appeal of Diamond Hotel to DigiPlus is inseparable from the company’s ongoing acquisition of New Coast Hotel Manila, the property directly adjacent to Diamond Hotel on the Manila Bay waterfront. The two hotels are physically connected by a roof bridge, meaning a successful acquisition of Diamond Hotel would give DigiPlus a seamlessly consolidated development site.
New Coast Hotel Manila, formerly the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Casino Manila, is now home to LaVie Resort and Casino. Its parent company, Hong Kong-listed International Entertainment Corp. (IEC), holds a provisional PAGCOR license to develop and operate an integrated casino resort in Manila until 2033, with a committed investment range of USD 1 billion to USD 1.2 billion. DigiPlus is acquiring a controlling 54% stake in IEC through a HKD 1.6 billion (USD 205 million) convertible notes deal struck in November 2024. The first tranche of HKD 800 million was completed on 3 March 2026, with the second tranche of equal value due within three months. The final PHP 6 billion payment on the convertible notes is expected by early June 2026.
Should DigiPlus succeed in acquiring Diamond Hotel Philippines on top of the IEC transaction, the total investment commitment could reach USD 1 billion across the two properties, according to multiple trade reports.
Omnichannel Strategy Driving The Push
DigiPlus president Andy Tsui has framed the land-based expansion as the physical component of an omnichannel gaming strategy, where digital platform users are incentivized to engage with physical resort properties and vice versa. Tsui stated that integrating digital and onsite gaming operations had proven commercially effective in other international jurisdictions, and described the strategy as improving user retention and increasing average player spending.
The company reported full-year 2025 net income of PHP 12.6 billion (USD 220 million), with revenue rising 12% to PHP 84.2 billion (USD 1.47 billion), and a cash position that grew nearly 70% to PHP 23.4 billion (USD 408 million) by end-2025, signaling capacity to support an ambitious capital commitment. However, a more recent disclosure reported by Inside Asian Gaming indicated DigiPlus posted a 33% year-on-year net income decline to PHP 2.8 billion in the first quarter of 2026, alongside a 25% fall in revenues to PHP 17.2 billion, citing the delinking of in-app access as a contributing factor. This adds a layer of near-term financial context to the timing of the land-based push.
Regulatory And Competitive Dimensions
Any consolidation of New Coast Hotel and Diamond Hotel into a single integrated resort development must first clear the Philippine Competition Commission. DigiPlus president Tsui acknowledged the antitrust body’s review typically takes six to nine months, meaning the company does not expect to consolidate the two properties imminently. DigiPlus has separately secured a whitewash waiver from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, permitting it to take control of IEC without triggering a mandatory general offer to minority shareholders.
The Manila Bay corridor where the two hotels are located is an increasingly competitive integrated resort market. Established operators Resorts World Manila and Okada Manila already anchor the area, and the arrival of DigiPlus as a land-based operator would mark a significant shift in the competitive landscape, potentially adding a technology-driven, omnichannel-oriented competitor to a market accustomed to traditional hospitality and gaming formats.
The Diamond Hotel acquisition, if concluded, would also have direct implications for Manila’s luxury hospitality inventory, as the property’s 480 rooms represent a meaningful block of five-star bayfront accommodation in a city where waterfront supply remains limited.