The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), that country’s casino and gaming regulator, says it “remains fully committed” in its work against “illegal online gaming activities”.
Friday’s statement came after news of a number of measures proposed by senators against online gambling, as well as a possible tax move by the national authorities.
On Friday senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a bill seeking an outright ban on online gambling in the Philippines, calling it a “silent epidemic” harming Filipinos. Mr Zubiri’s bill is called the “Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025”, according to local media reports.
The same day, the Philippines’ Department of Finance was said to be mulling a tax for the online gaming sector in the country, as well as the possibility of introducing stricter policies regarding access to digital gambling platforms.
Separately, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for a measure – referred to in news reports as “An Act Regulating Gambling in the Philippines” – that would impose stricter regulations on online gambling, including a ban on betting games using electronic wallets (e-wallets) and the imposition of a minimum cash-in amount of PHP10,000 (about US$177).
Pagcor said in its own Friday statement: “It is the prerogative of our lawmakers to propose laws which they think will be beneficial to the public.”
The regulator added: “Pagcor is duty-bound to follow any and all relevant regulations once they are passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.”
“In the meantime, rest assured that Pagcor remains fully committed to intensifying its efforts in the ongoing battle against the proliferation of illegal online gaming activities, together with like-minded agencies and organisations and with the support of all gaming industry stakeholders,” the agency added.
Last month the regulator launched its “PAGCOR Guarantee” website, where the public can check the legitimacy of the online gaming platforms they are accessing.
Philippines-listed DigiPlus Interactive Corp, a Philippine holding company with investment in gaming and leisure businesses, including bingo services and a digital sportsbook platform, experienced volatility in its stock price in Friday trading after the news.
The firm dismissed it as market speculation. “The company notes the recent share price movement and attributes this to market speculation following the filing of the Online Gambling Regulatory bill and Online Gambling Prohibition bills filed at the Senate and House of Representatives since June 30, 2025,” stated DigiPlus in a reply to a query from the exchange regulator.
