PAGCOR Sets December Target for App Designed to Spot Illegal Online Gambling
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is targeting a December launch for a mobile application that will allow players to verify whether online gaming platforms are licensed and regulated. The announcement, made by PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco, forms part of the regulator’s broader strategy to combat illegal online gambling, which it says has proliferated largely through social media channels and offshore-hosted websites targeting Filipino players.
Two Core Objectives
According to Tengco, the application is built around two primary functions. The first is to reduce the prevalence of unlicensed online gambling operations in the Philippine market. The second is player protection – ensuring that Filipino consumers engage only with platforms that operate under PAGCOR’s regulatory framework, which includes responsible gaming safeguards, fair gaming standards, and financial compliance requirements.
“The PAGCOR app has two main objectives: first, to curb illegal online gambling and second, to protect players by ensuring that they play only on licensed platforms,” Tengco stated. He added that the app will make it easier for players to distinguish legitimate operators from unauthorized ones.
The initiative comes amid significant pressure on the regulated market. PAGCOR’s gross gaming revenue declined by 20.33 percent year on year in the second quarter, a trend the regulator has attributed in part to the migration of players toward unlicensed platforms. Estimates suggest that roughly half of the online gambling sites accessed by Filipino players operate outside the country’s regulatory perimeter.
PAGCOR has also noted that the majority of illegal online gambling sites targeting Filipinos are hosted abroad, complicating enforcement efforts. Earlier this year, the regulator flagged a surge in illegal gambling promoted through social media platforms and announced plans for an artificial intelligence-based tool capable of detecting illegal gambling sites in real time.
Regulation Over Prohibition
When asked about its policy preference, PAGCOR reiterated its support for the strict regulation of online gambling rather than an outright ban. The agency’s position reflects a broader debate in the Philippines over how best to manage the sector, with some stakeholders calling for prohibition and others, including the regulator itself, advocating for tighter oversight of licensed operators alongside enforcement against unlicensed ones.
Tengco has also signaled support for dedicated online gaming legislation, indicating that he hopes to see such a law enacted before the end of his term in 2028 so that the market “will not easily be” exploited by unregulated operators.
For licensed operators, the app could serve as a certification mechanism of sorts, offering a direct channel through which consumers can confirm regulatory status. For payment providers and platform partners, it may reinforce existing obligations to screen out unauthorized gambling transactions. The December timeline, however, will require the agency to complete testing and public rollout within a compressed window.
