The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) is set to launch a mobile app designed to help players determine which online casinos are licensed and which are not.
In Monday's announcement made during a House budget hearing, Pagcor chairman and chief executive Alejandro H. Tengco outlined the purpose of the app, which is expected to debut before the end of 2026. This app will enhance Pagcor's existing verification system known as Pagcor Guarantee, aiming primarily to curb illegal online gambling and protect players by guiding them to regulated platforms.
"Keeping players within the regulated sector has been an ongoing challenge for Pagcor and our law enforcement partners," Tengco stated, adding that currently, around 50% of online gaming sites accessed in the Philippines operate without proper licenses.
"For those who patronize online gaming, we encourage them to use the Pagcor app. The easier it is for them to identify where they can legally play, the better we can protect them from illegal operators and the risks that come with unregulated gaming," he explained.
To aid in this initiative, Pagcor is collaborating with various government agencies including the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC). This collaboration focuses not only on identifying unlicensed operators but also on disrupting the financial networks that support illegal gambling, particularly the payment systems used by unauthorized platforms.
Furthermore, the app will provide a formal dispute resolution mechanism for players encountering issues with licensed operators, improving user experience. Tengco reflected positively on previous initiatives, mentioning the June 2025 launch of Pagcor Guarantee, which has streamlined the process for players to verify whether online gaming sites are legitimately licensed before engaging with them.
Tengco is pushing for enhanced regulatory frameworks, emphasizing his three objectives for the next 25 months, which include obtaining legislative approval for a comprehensive online gambling law. In line with this, Pagcor implemented an operator fee in June, requiring a minimum guaranteed fee of PHP9 million monthly for operators with online casino games and PHP3 million monthly for those without, such as sports betting sites.
Despite these efforts, Pagcor reported a decline in gross gaming revenue, generating PHP88.13 billion in the second quarter of this year, a decrease of 20.33% compared to the same period last year.
