PAGCOR to launch app to steer players towards licensed online gaming platforms

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is preparing to launch an app that will help online gaming players identify and use licensed platforms, as the regulator steps up efforts to curb illegal gambling.

The app is expected to launch before the end of 2026 and will focus on two objectives: reducing illegal online gambling and directing players towards platforms subject to PAGCOR's regulatory requirements and safeguards.

Speaking at a House Committee on Appropriations budget hearing on 24 August, PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the app is intended to make it easier for players to distinguish legitimate operators from illegal ones.

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The regulator said the initiative is particularly important as illegal platforms continue to account for a significant share of online gaming activity in the Philippines.

“Around 50% of online gaming sites accessed in the Philippines are illegal, and keeping players within the regulated sector has been an ongoing challenge for PAGCOR and our law enforcement partners,” Tengco said.

For players, the regulator is positioning licensed operators as offering an additional layer of protection when disputes arise.

The planned app builds on PAGCOR's existing efforts to help consumers verify gaming operators. In 2025, the regulator launched PAGCOR Guarantee, an online verification facility that allows the public to check whether an online gaming provider holds a valid licence.

PAGCOR is also working with the department of information and communications technology, national telecommunications commission and cybercrime investigation and coordination centre to pursue illegal online gaming operators, including the payment channels used by unlicensed platforms.

Alongside the planned player protection app, PAGCOR is maintaining its moratorium on new online gaming licences as it seeks to consolidate the sector.

The regulator currently has 48 online gaming licensees, down from 74, according to Tengco. He said PAGCOR has no immediate plans to lift the moratorium, which was introduced through a board resolution in March 2024.

Tengco said some operators had previously obtained licences without actively using them, with some allegedly attempting to sell or transfer the licences.

PAGCOR is also keeping current fee rates unchanged, with e-game operators subject to a 30% rate and integrated resorts 25%, effective from 1 January. The fees are based on a fixed percentage of licensees' gross gaming revenue (GGR).

The regulator's player protection efforts come as online gambling promotions by influencers and content creators face increased scrutiny in the Philippines.

During the hearing, Tengco disclosed that PAGCOR had fined an online gaming company 1 million pesos (US$16,000) over a recent giveaway involving 100 high-end phones promoted by influencer Ivana Alawi. The company was also ordered to stop the promotion.

Tengco said the operator had also received a “stern warning” against repeating the violation.

PAGCOR said it coordinates with government agencies on cases involving the promotion of illegal online gaming sites. The cybercrime investigation and coordination centre had filed between 12 and 15 cases against endorsers or influencers, based on cases reported to the agency.

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