For billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., online gaming is increasingly looking less like a side business—and more like a crucial piece of Bloomberry Resorts Corp.’s next growth story.
The operator of Solaire Resort Entertainment City and Solaire Resort North has stepped up its digital push with the launch of FUNaloMAX, an in-house online gaming platform designed for Filipino, mobile-first players.
The move comes as Bloomberry works to navigate a difficult period for its land-based casino operations, particularly at Solaire Entertainment City, where VIP and premium-mass gaming volumes have remained under pressure.
The ₱2-billion figure tells only part of the story
Recent reports have highlighted Solaire’s ₱2-billion VIP gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the first quarter of 2026.
But that number refers specifically to VIP GGR at Solaire Entertainment City—not the casino’s total gaming revenue.
Bloomberry reported ₱14.7 billion in consolidated GGR in Q1 2026, down 13% from ₱16.8 billion a year earlier. At Solaire Entertainment City, total GGR reached ₱10 billion, while VIP GGR stood at ₱2 billion, down 29% year-on-year.
The figures illustrate the challenge facing Razon’s casino empire: the digital business is being expanded at a time when the traditional high-roller market is still struggling.
Bloomberry subsequently showed signs of improvement in the second quarter. Its Q2 2026 net loss narrowed to about ₱345.3 million from ₱1.4 billion a year earlier, while GGR rose 15% year-on-year to ₱16.4 billion, according to recent industry reports.
Why FUNaloMAX matters
Bloomberry officially launched FUNaloMAX in July, positioning it as the mainstream-premium counterpart to its existing Solaire Online platform.
The company says Solaire Online is designed for premium customers looking for a digital extension of the luxury resort experience, while FUNaloMAX is aimed at a broader, younger and more mobile-oriented market.
That effectively gives Bloomberry two separate digital propositions under the Solaire umbrella.
FUNaloMAX is also built around technology developed and controlled by Bloomberry itself rather than relying entirely on third-party platforms.
Bloomberry President and COO Gregory Francis Hawkins said the company made a deliberate investment in developing and controlling its own technology, signaling that digital gaming is becoming a more strategic part of the group’s business rather than simply an experimental add-on.
The platform features live dealer games and other digital gaming offerings, with Bloomberry emphasizing identity verification, data protection and responsible-gaming controls. FUNaloMAX operates under a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) license, according to Bloomberry and industry reports.
A costly bet—but one Bloomberry appears willing to make
Bloomberry’s online ambitions come with substantial investment.
The company has already spent heavily on developing and operating its online gaming platforms, even as its land-based operations have struggled.
That spending has become particularly significant because Bloomberry entered 2026 after reporting a ₱2.6-billion net loss for full-year 2025. The company attributed the difficult year largely to persistent weakness in VIP and premium-mass gaming, although Solaire North provided some offset.
In 2025, Solaire Entertainment City generated ₱41.2 billion in GGR, down 23%, while Solaire North generated ₱18.5 billion. Bloomberry’s consolidated GGR fell 3% to ₱59.8 billion.
The online operation itself also added to expenses during the rollout.
In the third quarter of 2025, for example, Bloomberry reported ₱684.8 million in MegaFUNalo operating expenses, while management said the online platform was ramping up more slowly than anticipated amid regulatory uncertainties.
Bloomberry is changing strategy as the casino market shifts
The digital push makes more sense when viewed against the changing gaming landscape.
Bloomberry has been dealing with softer international VIP activity while its mass-market business—particularly at Solaire North—has shown greater resilience.
At the same time, Philippine online gaming has become a much more competitive market, with established digital operators such as DigiPlus and other major casino groups expanding their online presence.
PhilWeb, for example, has attracted fresh investor attention after a ₱2-billion investment from Lance Gokongwei, highlighting the growing appetite for regulated online gaming businesses in the Philippines.
That means Bloomberry is not entering an empty field.
It is attempting to carve out digital market share while leveraging the Solaire brand, its physical casino infrastructure and its own technology.
The recovery is still a work in progress
Bloomberry’s latest results suggest that the land-based business may be stabilizing, but the company is not yet out of the woods.
In Q1 2026, Bloomberry posted a ₱125-million net loss, compared with ₱3.3 billion in net income in Q1 2025. Consolidated EBITDA fell 32% to ₱3 billion.
Management responded by emphasizing cost discipline and continued efforts to improve the performance of both its resort properties and digital operations.
The second-quarter improvement offered some encouragement, with GGR increasing and the reported loss narrowing substantially from the previous year.
Still, the bigger question is whether online gaming can eventually become a meaningful earnings engine rather than another cost center.
Razon’s bigger bet
For Razon, the answer appears to be a strategic bet on where Filipino gaming customers are heading.
The casino floor remains the core of the Solaire business, but smartphones give Bloomberry access to customers beyond the physical walls of its resorts.
FUNaloMAX therefore represents more than a new gaming app. It is part of Bloomberry’s attempt to diversify its revenue sources, broaden its customer base and build an online business that it can control technologically.
The timing is critical.
With traditional VIP gaming still facing challenges, Solaire’s physical properties need to regain momentum while the company’s digital operation proves that the considerable investment behind it can eventually translate into sustainable revenue.
For now, Razon is betting that the next big Solaire customer may not walk through the casino doors at all—they may simply open their phone.
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