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Sovereign state
Asia
ISO PH
Review due

Philippines: gambling regulation and licensing

Republic of the Philippines

  • Online casinoRegulated
  • Online bingoRegulated
  • Online sports bettingRegulated
  • Online pokerRegulated
Regulator
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Last verified
30 Aug 2026

Summary

The Philippines has closed the offshore POGO era while keeping a regulated domestic online market. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) both operates and regulates gaming, an unusual dual role that the government has committed to unwind by privatising the casinos PAGCOR runs. Domestic online play runs through the Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGO) framework, a geo-fenced, land-based-anchored licence that serves players physically inside the country and ties an online offering to an existing licensed venue. Offshore Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators were banned outright. All offshore internet gaming licences were cancelled by 31 December 2024 under Executive Order 74, and the Anti-POGO Act (Republic Act 12312) followed in 2025 to put the prohibition on a statutory footing, after years in which the sector was linked to trafficking, scam compounds and organised crime. The domestic e-games and e-bingo sector grew sharply through 2024 and has become the principal growth story in Philippine gaming, drawing scrutiny in turn over accessibility and player protection. The regime carries a regulatory fee reported at around 30% of gross gaming revenue, with player winnings subject to final withholding taxes handled by the operator.

Key facts

Regulator
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)
Regulator type
Gaming board
Headline tax
Not yet verified
Licence required
Yes
Minimum age
Not yet verified
Tax base
The domestic PIGO framework carries a regulatory fee reported at around 30% of gross gaming revenue, and player winnings are subject to final withholding taxes handled by the operator. Confirm the current fee and tax treatment with PAGCOR.
Capital
Manila
Currency
PHP
Official languages
Filipino, English

Licensing

Licence required
Yes
Application window
Not yet verified
Local establishment required
Not yet verified
Local server required
Not yet verified

Licence types

  • Domestic Electronic Gaming Licence (PIGO)

    Scope
    Geo-fenced online gaming for players physically located in the Philippines, anchored to a land-based licensee.

Taxation

Headline GGR tax
Not yet verified
Effective date
Not yet verified
Tax base
The domestic PIGO framework carries a regulatory fee reported at around 30% of gross gaming revenue, and player winnings are subject to final withholding taxes handled by the operator. Confirm the current fee and tax treatment with PAGCOR.

Advertising

Advertising permitted
Yes
Affiliate rules
Affiliates are not separately licensed. Because advertising across television, radio, online and outdoor media is pre-screened, promotional material published on an operator behalf falls within the same clearance requirement.
Celebrity and influencer rules
Advertising is subject to pre-screening by the Ad Standards Council, which brings endorsement formats within a clearance process rather than leaving them to operator judgement.
Social media rules
Online advertising is within the pre-screening arrangement. The proposed SB 2347 would extend a statutory prohibition to websites, online platforms and social media, but it is not yet law.
Penalties for breach
PAGCOR both operates and regulates gaming, and enforces advertising directives directly against its licensees, as the August 2025 billboard removal deadline demonstrated.

Restrictions

  • PAGCOR ordered licensed operators to remove all billboards and other out-of-home advertising by 15 August 2025, covering physical and digital material on public transport including trains, buses, jeepneys and taxis, and on buildings.
  • A memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council, signed on 16 July 2025, made gambling advertising across television, radio, online and outdoor media subject to pre-screening, placing gambling alongside alcohol, medicines and food supplements.
  • Gambling advertising is banned during primetime television and radio hours, and a full-day ban has been under study.
  • Out-of-home advertising is prohibited near churches, schools and hospitals.
  • A proposed bill, SB 2347, would prohibit gambling advertising across television, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, websites, online platforms and social media. It is not law.

Enforcement

ISP blocking
Not yet verified
DNS blocking
Not yet verified
Payment blocking
Not yet verified
App store takedowns
Not yet verified
Operator liability
Offshore gaming operators (POGOs) are now prohibited; operating an offshore internet gaming service from the Philippines is banned under Executive Order 74 and Republic Act 12312.

Outlook

The story is the pivot from a controversial offshore export industry to a taxed domestic market. Watch how PAGCOR balances its dual operator-regulator role, the 30% regulatory-fee economics of PIGO, and the ongoing enforcement wind-down of former POGO operations.

Frequently asked questions

Are POGOs still legal in the Philippines?
No. Offshore gaming operators were banned, with all offshore internet gaming licences cancelled by 31 December 2024 under Executive Order 74 and the Anti-POGO Act (Republic Act 12312).
Who regulates online gambling in the Philippines?
PAGCOR (the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), which both operates and regulates gaming, oversees the domestic PIGO framework.

iGT coverage of Philippines

S&P: DigiPlus Will Keep Half the Philippine Online Market; the State Is the Risk
Corporate

S&P: DigiPlus Will Keep Half the Philippine Online Market; the State Is the Risk

The ratings agency expects the operator to hold 40% to 50% of legal online gaming for two years, with the second player at 15% to 20%. It also says the risk of regulatory intervention is "higher in the Philippines than other jurisdictions", cites the e-wallet delinking that cut DigiPlus revenue 23% in a quarter, and flags Senate bills that could ban the product outright. The central bank added a new one today.

Philippine Central Bank Finds 8,000 Salons and Bakeries Were Casino Fronts
Regulatory

Philippine Central Bank Finds 8,000 Salons and Bakeries Were Casino Fronts

Thousands of PHP50 payments after midnight to businesses that on paper were beauty parlours and corner shops turned out to be bets. The BSP has shut the merchant accounts and drafted rules that put the burden on GCash, Maya and their aggregators to know who they are paying. PAGCOR's chairman: "Unfortunately, we don't have control over that."

PAGCOR Warns Philippine Gaming Revenue Could Fall Up to 19% in 2026
Regulatory

PAGCOR Warns Philippine Gaming Revenue Could Fall Up to 19% in 2026

The Philippine regulator has cut its outlook for the year as the online segment that recently overtook land-based casinos slumps, with the chairman pointing to squeezed lower-income players and the removal of e-wallet links from gambling platforms.

Sources

  1. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)

    PAGCOR

    Tier 1Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  2. PAGCOR Licence Requirements: PIGO and the POGO ban

    Gaming Compliance

    Tier 3Accessed 4 Aug 2026
  3. PAGCOR and Ad Standards Council sign MOU to regulate gambling ads

    PAGCOR

    Tier 1Accessed 30 Aug 2026

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This page is industry reference information and not legal advice.

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