PhilWeb Corp., the Asian gaming solutions provider, said its net income for the first half surged to P480 million, an increase of 30 percent compared to the figure recorded in the same period in 2011.
In its unaudited financial statements for the quarter, the company also said it achieved revenues of P692 million, 24 percent more than the previous year.
Dennis Valdes, president of PhilWeb, said the company’s core business of providing services to Pagcor turned into another strong quarter.
“In Asia Pacific, we just signed a memorandum of understanding in Laos, with the Executive Board of the Thakhek Specific Economic Zone, which grants us a 75-year concession to build a casino on two hectares of land within the zone,” Valdes continued.
“Thakhek is right on the border of Laos and Thailand, and we expect this project to be a major contribution of revenues and profits to PhilWeb in the near future,” he said.
“As we disclosed earlier this year, Asia Pacific has been a bright star for PhilWeb as our scratch cards businesses in Cambodia and Timor Leste continue their growth. In Guam, we are in the process of putting up our second Sweeps Cafe, which is very similar to our PEGS business in the Philippines,” he said.
“With this financial performance in the first half of 2012, and knowing that the second half is always a stronger period for PhilWeb, it is clear that we will set a new financial records for the company in 2012,”  he said.
PhilWeb also said it would buy back the 26.28 percent share of ePLDT in the company at the price of P10.70 per share.  
Valdes explained that “the ePLDT transaction will reduce the outstanding shares of PhilWeb to 1.116 billion shares. This will effectively increase earnings per share by 36 percent.”