The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) said in August 2023 that it would start the privatization of 45 casinos by the third quarter of 2025, a disposal expected to generate between P60 billion and P80 billion in revenues1.
The figure was reported alongside scrutiny of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said the casino sale would make up for losses the government would incur from shuttered POGO firms, after it was reported that Pagcor failed to collect P2.2 billion in unpaid dues from those outfits1.
At the same hearing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that 4,039 people were victims of crimes related to POGOs in the first half of 2023, against 128 reported victims in the first half of 20221. PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda told senators the force was intensifying operations against POGOs and training more investigators to build cases against such illegal activities1.
Gatchalian said many POGO firms remain licensed by Pagcor, which he said allows them to continue illegal activity1.
"In other words, they (licensed POGO firms) are legitimate in the eyes of Pagcor, but they are doing illegitimate activities behind these licenses."
Acorda said the PNP has been coordinating with Pagcor and the Department of Justice to monitor POGO-related activities, and that POGO operations must be regulated and monitored, or banned if crimes continue to increase1.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Casinos to be privatized | 45 |
| Privatization start | By the third quarter of 2025 |
| Expected revenue | P60 billion to P80 billion |
| POGO-related crime victims, first half of 2023 | 4,039 |
| POGO-related crime victims, first half of 2022 | 128 |
| Unpaid Pagcor dues from POGO outfits | P2.2 billion |
What it means for players
The privatization covers 45 casinos operated under Pagcor, the body that also licenses and regulates gambling in the Philippines. The sale is expected to raise P60 billion to P80 billion, but the reports do not set out which properties are included, who may buy them, or how licensing and oversight would work once they change hands. Those details have not been reported1.
For anyone gambling in the Philippines, the practical effect depends on details that are not yet public. The country's gambling regulators and licensing framework separates casino operations from the state body that supervises them, and a transfer of casino ownership does not by itself change the rules players face. The reports also do not say whether the privatization affects POGO licensing, which is a separate matter raised at the same hearing1.
The hearing material concerns POGO-related crime and unpaid dues, not the casino privatization itself, so no link between the two beyond the funding rationale Gatchalian gave has been reported1. For a general overview of where gambling is permitted and who supervises it, see Can I Gamble in the Philippines?.
What happens next
Pagcor said the privatization would begin by the third quarter of 20251. No further timetable, buyer list or regulatory steps have been reported. The PNP said it is training more investigators and coordinating with Pagcor and the Department of Justice on POGO-related activity1.
Sources1 sources
- POGO victims hit 4,039, PNP - BusinessWorld Online, bworldonline.com
