ArenaPlus Head Erick Su emphasized that successful VIP management goes beyond short-term revenue generation, underscoring the importance of building long-term customer relationships while maintaining strong compliance and responsible gaming standards.
Su shared these insights during the session, “High Rollers, High Risk: Where VIP Strategy Meets Compliance,” at the SiGMA Asia Summit 2026 on Tuesday, June 2, just a day after ArenaPlus was named Best Sportsbook Operator for the second consecutive year at the SiGMA Asia Awards 2026.
When asked how ArenaPlus identifies VIP players, Su explained that the No. 1 PAGCOR-licensed online sportsbook in the Philippines takes a broader view than simply looking at spending levels. ArenaPlus VIPs are players whose engagement, insights, and feedback help shape the platform’s evolving features and rewards programs.
“When we define a VIP player, it’s about what’s your strategy for your customer? What’s your relationship with your customer? You’re focused on retention. So we have a different range of VIP players,” said Su during the discussion on managing VIPs amid evolving regulatory requirements and enhanced due diligence measures.
“When we internally look at that, we would say, okay, even a medium-spending player who tends to be more loyal and stays with us for the long term could be considered a VIP player.”
He added: “So when we set up the VIP program and rewards, we look at players not only in terms of the short-term revenue they’re going to generate, but also whether they have the potential to become long-term value players for us.”
During the same panel discussion, Su also emphasized the role of compliance in VIP management, noting that ArenaPlus follows regulatory requirements while continuously monitoring player activity and betting behavior.
According to Su, unusual transaction patterns, sudden shifts in betting behavior, and unusually large wagers can all prompt closer review.
“From an operational perspective, we also constantly monitor transaction and betting behavior to identify VIPs. Then, we assess whether there is any suspicious or abnormal activity that may require intervention before a trigger is reached. That’s what we consistently monitor,” he said.
“You will encounter situations where some VIP players suddenly change their behavior. This may indicate the involvement of a betting syndicate using a VIP account to target your book. From another perspective, you may also see players in the live casino placing unusually large bets. These situations can trigger alarms, and based on our analysis of the behavior, we decide whether enhanced KYC (Know Your Customer) checks are necessary.”
Su stressed the importance of VIP managers, who serve as the primary link between the platform and its high-value customers.
“We should have a VIP manager or personal account manager reach out to players as soon as they are identified as VIPs. This helps build a strong personal relationship with them, and if there comes a point when enhanced checks, additional documentation, or some form of intervention is needed, they are more likely to cooperate,” he said.
“But we also shouldn’t take the risk of failing to properly verify players when necessary. It’s not good for the business and, in the long run, creates much higher operational risk.”
At the same time, Su cautioned operators and VIP managers against prioritizing short-term gains over long-term customer value, saying this mindset can lead to costly mistakes.
“Some VIP managers may focus on generating short-term revenue rather than long-term customer lifetime value because you don’t know whether a player is going to leave the platform next week, next month, or next year,” he said. “As a result, you might prioritize immediate revenue generation instead of looking at the bigger picture of the customer’s long-term value.”
“So I think that has led to a lot of mistakes because, if you’re short-sighted, you can ignore compliance, overlook operational risks, and fail to determine whether someone is truly a VIP player. In sports betting, some high-turnover players don’t necessarily translate into high-revenue players. If you keep your mindset focused on short-term goals, you’re more likely to make mistakes.”
SiGMA is a global gaming and technology platform with a portfolio spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Southeast Asia.
For more information, visit www.digiplus.com.ph.
