The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is mulling over stricter measures to regulate the iGaming industry, such as improving player identity verification, setting up a responsible gambling helpline, and completely banning advertising.
Back in 2025, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) gave a directive to take down gambling-themed billboards and ads which were seen on public transport like buses, taxis, and train networks. The regulator has also asked the Ads Standards Council to review and approve gambling campaigns prior to them being posted on social media or any other online platforms. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center along with the National Telecommunications Commission are empowered to impose restrictions or block illegal advertisements.
During a Wednesday hearing, PAGCOR chief Alejandro Tengco said:
As digital gaming continues to grow, PAGCOR has implemented significant regulatory upgrades to protect players, promote transparency and ensure that online gaming operates within a secure and well-regulated environment.
Among other measures, Tengco said:
“During prime time, [5:30-8:30pm] advertisements are already prohibited. Radio and TV stations are asking if they can still show the ads during dead slots, mainly for advertising revenue. But for us, if it’s possible to completely ban them, that’s what we want to enforce.
According to Jessa Mariz Fernandez of PAGCOR’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department, the company is getting their Know Your Customer program tighter and tighter to stop players from getting around identity verification. Partners need to do more than just tell their basic personal and contact details; they have to submit a valid government ID and take a live selfie also before they are allowed to put money into their accounts.
Fernandez also mentioned that to increase public knowledge on the potential dangers, PAGCOR plans to issue a great number of different language versions of their newly launched motto, “Gambling is addictive. Know when to stop.” As per the InsiderPh report, the agency intentionally chose the term “gambling” instead of the milder “gaming” as a strategy to face a possibly tougher legislative crackdown and more public disapproval of the fast-expanding business later on. The new slogan changes the earlier tagline
PAGCOR and Seagulls Flock Organization join forces to install a 24/7 support helpline for problem gamblers. The NGO will also be the one to host the 3rd International Conference on Gambling and Gaming Addiction, which will be held in Manila from May 18 to 20.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Tengco contradicted Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s assertion that over 32 million adult Filipinos are regularly using licensed iGaming platforms.
Tengco said:
“Just a clarification on the numbers earlier — the 32 million are only registered users but the active players are around 10 million. That is the sickness of the player or the gambler. They will participate in different operators because, as you know, when they get lucky there, they will stick to it. But when they get unlucky, they will transfer from one to the other.”
On the one hand, PAGCOR, the regulator, is pushing for the introduction of stricter regulations for online gambling, while on the other hand, it is also proposing a change in policy that would allow the return of e-wallet as a mode of funding for gaming transactions. In August last year, the Philippines Central Bank or BSP ordered digital wallets like GCash and Maya to take down direct in-app links that guide users to the gambling platforms.
When he was asked during a conference at ICE Barcelona in January, Tengco said that if there are better consumer protection measures, that might be enough to persuade the BSP to allow payment providers to reconnect with licensed eGaming operators again.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the updated minimum guaranteed fees would likely help in the continued growth and the stability of the industry.
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