The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the nation’s casino regulator-cum-operator, is set to resume the remittance of 5 percent of its gross income to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the top government agency responsible for all amateur sports in the country.
That follows a ruling from the country’s Supreme Court in October 2025, which denied a motion for reconsideration filed by Pagcor, reiterating that funding for the PSC is mandatory and supported by the existing legal framework.
The Philippine Star outlet reported that, from 1993, the 5-percent remittance requirement had been cut to 2.1375 percent through an executive order. The court declared the reduction invalid and also ordered Pagcor to settle overdue remittances amounting to circa PHP37.0 billion (US$633.0 million), over a period of 10 years.
“The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp is ordered to account and remit the full amount of 5 percent of its gross income per annum from 1993 to present in favour of the Philippine Sports Commission,” stated the court’s resolution.
The ruling also said that the requirement to remit 5 percent of Pagcor’s gross income was “unqualified” and not subject to deductions for franchise tax, national government shares, or other subsidies.
In its appeal, Pagcor had argued that the ruling should be applied prospectively, warning that retroactive application would result in over-remittance to other obligations and possible overpayment of income taxes.
The Supreme Court however rejected those arguments in its October ruling.
The Philippine Star cited PSC chairman, Patrick Gregorio, as saying that he had met with Pagcor’s chairman and chief executive, Alejandro Tengco, to discuss the payment terms.
“The Pagcor funds will transform our best dreams for Philippine sports and tourism into reality,” Mr Gregorio reportedly said.
The state-run Pagcor reported revenue of PHP106.03 billion for full-year 2025, down 5.1 percent year-on-year. Despite lower revenues, Pagcor reported PHP17.47 billion in net income last year, up 4.2 percent from 2024.
