The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) disclosed this Wednesday that it has fully suspended the issuance of new licenses for online gambling websites and applications since March 1, 2024, a policy that has been in place for over a year.
Pagcor Chairman Alejandro Tengco emphasized at the House Appropriations Committee hearing that the suspension aims to curb the disorderly expansion of the online gambling industry, and currently only applications submitted before the suspension are being processed.
Currently, Pagcor still holds licenses for over 70 legal online gambling platforms, including representative platforms such as BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and OKBet.
Tengco pointed out that since the implementation of the new regulations, all 48 POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) licenses have been completely cancelled, and these companies, even if they attempt to transition to online gambling applications, will be specifically marked and scrutinized by regulatory authorities.
Pagcor continues to conduct on-site inspections of operators with cancelled licenses, but specific enforcement actions still need to be carried out by law enforcement agencies.
Despite the freeze on new licenses, online gambling remains a pillar of Pagcor's revenue. This year, it is expected to contribute 60 to 62 billion pesos, accounting for about 62% of total revenue, a more than tenfold increase compared to 6 billion pesos in 2021.
However, public skepticism towards online gambling continues to rise, with many Filipinos falling into debt and even family breakdown due to addiction to online gambling. At the same time, recent reports of "missing cockfighters" being kidnapped and killed have also reignited societal concerns about human rights and public safety issues related to online gambling.
