On March 30, 2026, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) announced that its new payment structure for gambling fees will be postponed from April 2026 to June 2026...
PAGCOR’s new licensing rules for Philippine offshore gaming
Forty licenses to offshore gambling operators, now known as internet gaming licensees (IGLs), were recently granted by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp..
In 2023, these operators—previously called Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)—reported earnings of over PHP 3.15 billion, or roughly $54.39 million. This sum amounts to a small fraction, approximately 4.31%, of PAGCOR’s annual gaming revenue, which came to PHP 79.37 billion (about $1.37 billion).
In addition to the 40 normal IGLs as of mid-May, PAGCOR has also given nine provisional licenses. These changes follow a modification in laws. The “Internet Gaming Licensing Regulations,” which went into effect on July 12, 2023, is a set of new, tougher regulations that PAGCOR mandated all POGOs to reapply for in August of the previous year.
Prolonged disagreements over POGOs, especially those concerning the hiring of foreign laborers in the industry, became the basis for this regulatory revision. Because of the offshore gambling industry’s importance to national revenue and job creation in the Philippines, PAGCOR and certain lawmakers in the country still support it in spite of these challenges.
The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Chief General, Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., has ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group to improve efforts and investigations into criminal...
