The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) placed all offshore gaming licensees under probation in July 2023 and required them to re-apply under stricter guidelines, the state-run gaming firm said in its 2023 annual report1. The report states that licensees that failed the process were endorsed for cancellation, though it does not give a figure for how many re-applied or how many failed1.
The probation formed part of what PAGCOR described as reforms that strengthened regulatory controls for offshore gaming1. The same report says PAGCOR amended its regulatory framework for the E-Games, bingo and sports betting sectors to eliminate illegal online gaming sites, and that it is gradually reducing its share rates for both on-site and online E-Games from around 55% toward a level at par with global standards1.
"In July 2023, we placed all offshore gaming licensees under probation and required them to re-apply under stricter guidelines."
The report does not state the exact date in July 2023 on which the probation took effect, the deadline by which licensees had to re-apply, or the specific criteria used in the stricter guidelines1. It also does not name which licensees were endorsed for cancellation1.
Offshore gaming contributed Php5.17 billion to PAGCOR's 2023 revenues, according to the report's gaming industry highlights1. PAGCOR's total gross revenues for 2023 were Php79.37 billion, up 34.63% from Php58.96 billion the previous year, while the Philippine gaming industry's gross gaming revenues reached a record Php285.27 billion1.
What it means for players
Offshore operators licensed in the Philippines, often called POGOs, serve customers outside the country rather than domestic players, so the probation process mainly affects the corporate standing of the operators themselves1. For anyone using an offshore site that holds a Philippine license, the practical effect is that the operator's license was not automatically renewed: it had to be re-applied for under stricter rules, and a failure could lead to cancellation1. The report does not say how players can confirm whether a particular offshore licensee passed or failed, or what happens to customer funds if a license is canceled1. Players checking whether a site is licensed can consult How to Check a PAGCOR Gaming License and Gambling Regulators and Licenses in Asia: Who Licenses What and How to Check. The wider context of offshore licensing in the region is covered in Offshore Gambling Licenses and What They Mean for Players in Asia, and the risks of unlicensed sites are set out in Risks of Playing on Unlicensed Gambling Sites.
What happens next
The report does not set out a timeline beyond the July 2023 probation and re-application requirement, and it does not state when PAGCOR expects to complete its review of the re-applications or announce the outcomes1. No further dated steps on the offshore licensing review appear in the report1.
Sources1 sources
- pagcor-annual-report-2023.pdf, pagcor.ph
