Alejandro Tengco, chairman and chief executive of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the country’s casino regulator, has reaffirmed that tighter control, not a total ban, should be the way forward regarding the nation’s online gambling sector.
Speaking on Monday at the iGaming Symposium, organised by gaming technology and content provider Light & Wonder, Mr Tengco (pictured) said banning online gambling in the Philippines would encourage illegal operations and deprive the government of revenues.
“The iGaming story in the Philippines is no longer just about growth; it’s about how we grow safely, fairly, and sustainably,” Mr Tengco said, according to a Monday press release from Pagcor.
“We support stricter regulations to protect our people, but we are against a total ban which will only drive players to illegal operators and result in loss of revenues and jobs,” he added.
The Pagcor chief also said that reforms introduced by the agency – including reductions in licence fee rates – had spurred “robust growth” in terms of revenue for the electronic games sector.
The Philippines’ electronic games sector is composed of e-games, e-bingo, and bingo grantees, according to Pagcor’s definition. In January this year, Pagcor implemented a fresh reduction to the remittance rates for online and on-site betting platforms. The gaming regulator said the fee had been lowered to 30 percent, from 35 percent previously.
Gross gaming revenues (GGR) from the electronic games sector reached PHP154.51 billion (US$2.72 billion) in full-year 2024, up from PHP58.16 billion in the prior year. The PHP154.51-billion amount accounted for nearly half of the gaming industry’s PHP372.33 billion aggregate GGR last year.
According to Pagcor data, the electronic games sector produced GGR of PHP114.83 billion in the first half this year, accounting for almost 53.5 percent of total GGR in the period.
Last week, Pagcor stressed the importance of public revenue derived from legal online gaming activities in funding education, health care, and community development initiatives across the country.
Online gaming has been one of the “biggest revenue drivers” for the Philippines’ authorities, stated Pagcor in a report to the House Committee on Games and Amusements, a standing committee of the country’s House of Representatives.
The licence fees generated from the licensed online gaming sector amounted to PHP69 billion in the first seven months of this year, of which approximately PHP41 billion came from the electronic games sector, stated Pagcor at the time.
Last month, members of the Philippines’ Senate began discussing stricter regulation of the country’s online gambling sector, including bills proposing a ban. Amid the public debate, the Philippines’ central bank ordered providers of electronic wallets (e-wallets) and other digital payment systems to remove links that provided access from their interfaces to online gambling platforms in the country.
In his Monday remarks, Mr Tengco highlighted Pagcor’s ongoing reforms, including a plan to separate its regulatory and operational functions, create stronger responsible gaming safeguards, and implement stricter advertising standards for the country’s gambling sector.
“With responsible growth, compliance, and transparency, the Philippines can develop a safer, stronger, and globally competitive iGaming industry,” the Pagcor chief stated.
Mr Tengco also expressed gratitude to Light & Wonder for organising the event, highlighting the firm’s role as a key partner in strengthening the country’s gaming sector.
