PAGCOR cuts eCasino Games fee rates from 35% to 30%

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation reduced its fee rates for Electronic CASINO Games (eCASINO Games) from 35% to 30% effective January 1, 2025¹. The agency said the reduction was "part of efforts to strengthen the legal online gaming market and curb illegal operations"¹.

For eCasino Games operated by integrated resorts, PAGCOR lowered the rate further to 22%, which it said was "to help offset the higher operational costs of brick-and-mortar establishments"¹.

The rate change was one of several regulatory moves PAGCOR reported for 2025. The agency launched its "PAGCOR Guarantee" website on June 18, where the public can check the legitimacy of online gaming providers, and an Online Self-Exclusion Application (OSEA) on October 1¹. On July 16 it formalized a partnership with the Ads Standards Council to strengthen regulation and pre-screening of gambling-related advertisements, and on July 17 its Board of Directors approved a revised responsible gaming tagline, from "Game Responsibly, Keep It Fun" to "Gambling Can be Addictive, Know When To Stop"¹.

PAGCOR reported total revenues of Php106.03 billion in 2025, a 5.09% decline from Php111.71 billion in 2024, which it attributed to weaker land-based gaming earnings, stricter controls in online gaming, tighter payment regulations and enhanced oversight¹. It said the year-on-year decline was also influenced by the offshore gaming ban, as that segment contributed nearly Php3 billion in 2024 but was no longer part of its revenue base in 2025¹.

What it means for players

The fee rate is what PAGCOR charges operators, not a tax or charge paid directly by players, and the annual report does not state whether or how the reduction is passed on to players. The report gives no figures on player prices, payouts or game odds, and no operator has been reported as changing its terms as a result.

The report does describe tools aimed at players. The PAGCOR Guarantee website lets the public check whether an online gaming provider is legitimate, and the Online Self-Exclusion Application, launched October 1, 2025, lets a person exclude themselves from online gaming¹. PAGCOR also changed its responsible gaming tagline to "Gambling Can be Addictive, Know When To Stop"¹.

For anyone gambling in the Philippines, licensed status remains checkable through PAGCOR, and the rules on who licenses what across Asia set out how that verification works in other markets. The report does not say whether the lower fee rate has changed the number of licensed operators or the availability of online casinos in the Philippines.

What happens next

The annual report sets out no further scheduled change to the eCasino Games fee rates. It notes that CF Mandaue ended operations on June 18 as a 100% PAGCOR-run site and "will transition to a revenue-sharing property in the first semester of 2026"¹. It also refers to a 25-year lease agreement signed in December 2024 covering PAGCOR's 13-hectare Nayong Pilipino property, as part of a project to build a permanent home for the agency¹. No date beyond the first semester of 2026 is given for the CF Mandaue transition.