Pagcor chairman backs stricter regulation of online gambling over total ban

Alejandro Tengco, chair and chief executive officer of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), said on Tuesday, July 8, that the regulator supports stricter regulation of online gambling rather than an outright ban, and wants unregistered online gambling platforms curbed¹. He spoke in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo¹.

Tengco said stamping out online gambling would be very difficult, and estimated that only about 45% to 50% of the online gaming sphere has been tapped so far because of illegal operators¹. He said those illegal platforms likely target Filipinos but are based abroad¹. Pagcor makes about P50 billion in license fees alone in 2024, not including what licensed operators pay the Bureau of Internal Revenue¹. Tengco said the government earns more than P100 billion from online gambling directly and indirectly, and that one large licensed online gaming company paid over P30 billion or P40 billion in taxes². He said about 32,000 people are directly employed by the industry, with ancillary businesses such as guards, drivers and food businesses also affected by a total ban¹.

Tengco acknowledged Senator Sherwin Gatchalian's proposed legislation to curb illegal operations and tighten regulation, including preventing minors from accessing e-gambling, and said he supports a higher minimum bet and top-up or deposit amount to curb abuse¹. He also referred to Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri's bill seeking a total ban on all online gambling, and to Gatchalian's separate measure banning the use of e-wallets in online gambling². Tengco said people aged 21 and above are the only ones permitted to play on Pagcor-registered platforms, and that GCash and likely other e-wallets or payment processors are working on improving "Know Your Customer" protocols to enforce that age limit¹.

Planned measures described by Tengco include:

What it means for players

Pagcor's position means licensed online gambling in the Philippines stays open for now, and the pressure falls on unlicensed sites rather than on players at registered operators. Tengco said illegal operators based abroad target Filipino customers, and that Pagcor has received complaints from players at illegal operations who did not receive their winnings and deposits². The rules he described would apply to licensed operators: age checks through e-wallets, advertising restrictions and tools that can stop a player from gambling. The higher minimum bet and deposit amounts he supports would raise the entry cost of play, and he linked that proposal to keeping minors out¹. The exact minimum amounts have not been reported; Tengco said they will be studied². The self-exclusion and cooling-off tools, the hotline and the advertising agreement were described as planned or in progress, not in force.

What happens next

Pagcor and the Ad Standards Council are to sign a memorandum of agreement in a week to regulate outdoor billboards, with time given to owners to take down current billboards¹. Tengco said the 24/7 hotline will be set up in the next few months². The Ad Standards Council also seeks to study regulation of online gambling advertising on social media². The bills filed by Zubiri and Gatchalian are before the legislature; no outcome has been reported².