The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is preparing to launch a new mobile application designed to steer players toward licensed online gambling platforms as regulators intensify efforts against illegal operators.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco disclosed the initiative during a House Committee on Appropriations budget hearing on August 24. The regulator expects the app to become available before the end of 2026.
According to PAGCOR, roughly half of the online gaming websites being accessed by players in the Philippines are operating without proper authorisation. The regulator sees the new app as a way to make licensed services easier to identify while reducing players’ exposure to unregulated platforms.
The application will build on PAGCOR Guarantee, an online verification platform introduced in June 2025. That service maintains an updated directory of authorised internet gaming sites and allows users to confirm whether an operator is legitimately regulated before depositing money or playing.
The mobile version is expected to go further by directing players toward authorised platforms and providing access to a formal dispute-resolution process when problems arise with licensed operators. Players using regulated sites therefore have a route for complaints and regulatory intervention that is unavailable when dealing with illegal businesses.
PAGCOR is also coordinating enforcement efforts with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Telecommunications Commission and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center. Their work includes identifying illegal platforms and targeting payment channels used to support unauthorised gambling operations.
The regulator has strengthened its oversight of the domestic online gaming market through additional licensing and financial requirements. PAGCOR’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department regulates locally offered eCasino games, sports betting, online poker, bingo and other electronic gaming products.
Minimum guaranteed fees for gaming system administrators also took effect in June 2026. Operators offering electronic casino games are subject to a PHP9 million monthly minimum guaranteed fee based on PHP30 million in minimum monthly gross gaming revenue, while operators without eCasino products face a PHP3 million fee based on PHP15 million in monthly GGR.
The tougher regulatory push comes during a weaker period for the Philippine gaming market. Industry GGR fell 20.33% year-on-year to PHP88.13 billion in the second quarter of 2026, compared with PHP110.63 billion in the same period of 2025. Electronic gaming, eBingo, bingo and poker generated PHP39.85 billion, representing 45.21% of total quarterly GGR.
PAGCOR has also maintained a moratorium on new online gaming licences, with Tengco saying the regulator currently wants the sector to consolidate before considering additional operators. As of late August, the number of licensed online gaming operators stood at 48.