MANILA: The local gaming industry's gross gaming revenues (GGR) rose by 37.52 percent to PHP94.61 billion in the third quarter of the year, as reported by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). This increase marks a significant growth from the PHP68.79 billion recorded in the same period last year. According to Philippines News Agency, this growth was primarily driven by the electronic gaming sector, which experienced a dramatic increase of over five times, generating PHP35.71 billion in revenues compared to last year's PHP6.32 billion. PAGCOR chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco highlighted the electronic gaming sector's remarkable performance, noting a 464.38 percent increase from the previous year. Tengco emphasized the role of modern technology and mobile gadgets in gaming and amusement, suggesting they will continue to shape the industry's future. Tengco expressed optimism about the continued growth of the e-games sector, as technology becomes an integral part of con sumer lifestyles, influencing shopping, gaming, and entertainment habits. He projected that by the end of the year, the sector could generate up to PHP78 billion in license fees, significantly contributing to PAGCOR's PHP100 billion revenue target for 2024. Despite the overall revenue growth, the country's licensed casinos, the largest contributors to the third-quarter GGR, reported PHP50.72 billion, slightly down from PHP51.90 billion last year. Casino Filipino gaming venues operated by PAGCOR saw revenues of PHP3.64 billion, a decrease from the 2023 figure of PHP4.94 billion. Bingo operations also saw a decline, contributing PHP4.52 billion to the GGR, which is 19.43 percent lower than the PHP5.61 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2023.