The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Nestor Cuartero
Happily, we were among the lucky first few members of media who managed to step into Paradise, the Philippines’ newest casual gaming destination.
It didn’t matter that Paradise was located so far away from us, all the way in Paranaque in the vicinity of Entertainment City at Central Bay Building, only a few steps away from PITX, that grand terminal of provincial buses. We braved the traffic and the high cost of journeying via Skyway August 28 for what our friend, Gian Carlo Vizcarra, promised as a unique experience in gaming. Not being young enough to be considered an ideal market for such activities, I gamely plowed along, hoping to learn a new thing or two.
And I did.
MegaBet, a dynamic and competitive gaming platform, launches Paradise, the Philippines’ newest casual gaming destination.
Its flagship Fruit Color Game is a mechanically operated game designed by Filipino game enthusiasts with an eye on equal winning opportunities, transparency and fairness.
The Fruit Color Game is MegaBet’s first in-house title, adapted into the Paradise Island storyline.
The game features iconic tropical fruits like banana, coconut, papaya, mangosteen, rambutan and jackfruit as symbols. A player chooses a fruit of his choice, or a combination thereof, in launching a game. Every spin, bet or game session rewards players with real world items when they accumulate loyalty points. P400 deposit is equal to one Mega Coin.
The live gaming studio offers real-time casino experience with live stream dealers and live version of the Fruit Color Game for a more engaging and interactive play, according to Peter Munsayac, who’s head of Research and Design and among those who designed the game.
Fruit Game is actually inspired by a similar game known to Filipino youths exposed to fun and adventure in so-called town perias or fairs. Instead of animals like rabits and chickens on board, players pick from among a gallery of fruits with which to advance in the game. I found it a bit nostalgic as playing the game brought me back to my carefree days in my Batangas hometown as a youth having the time of his life in a perya setting.
In the new website, the new branding, Paradise Island showcases Filipino icons – Paradise Babe and Kardo.
Shelly Flores, Mega Bet marketing manager, says the redesigned platform is more interactive and innovative.
The enhanced features and improved gameplay offer bigger prizes for a high-quality gaming experience.
Inside the live studio, one saw first-hand how MegaBet’s high energy hosts, cutting-edge broadcast set-up and immersive game experience come together to bring fun, fair and Filipino-inspired gaming to life.
Ms. Shelly makes an extra pitch: “Discover the MegaBet Mall, where gaming meets rewards, redefining player loyalty system. Players will win MegaBet prizes. Deposits are converted into Mega Coins redeemable for rewards.”
At stake, she says, are gadgets and electronic devices, brand apparel and high-value items like motorcycle or a brand-new car.
There are also prizes from top brands including Apple, Rolex, Evo, Toyota, Yamaha, Play Station 5 and more.
Finally, according to Ms. Shelly, “In today’s competitive iGaming market, platforms need to do more than just provide games online. They need to deliver innovation, trust and player engagement.”