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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Stock Market devider Philippine gaming revenue slumps as inflation hits discretionary spending

Philippine gaming revenue slumps as inflation hits discretionary spending

Published May 16, 2026 12:38 pm  |  Updated May 16, 2026 03:47 pm

At A Glance

  • Surging domestic prices driven by inflationary spillovers from the Middle East war have led Filipino e-gamers to sharply cut spending, pulling down gaming industry revenues by 15.9 percent to ₱87.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
The country’s gross gaming revenues fell 15.9 percent in the first quarter of the year, driven by the sharp contraction in electronic gaming as inflationary spillovers from conflicts in the Middle East eroded local consumer discretionary spending.
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) data released over the weekend showed that total industry revenues dropped to ₱87.6 billion from ₱104.1 billion in the same period last year.
Pagcor said the decline was largely driven by the electronic gaming sector, which includes e-games, e-bingo, bingo, and poker. All of which sharply dropped by 22.4 percent from the January-to-March figure in the previous year.
Pagcor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alejandro H. Tengco said the first quarter drop could be blamed on several factors, including softer discretionary spending amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising inflationary pressures.”
Tengco added that economic headwinds and shifting market conditions continued to shape industry performance in the early part of the year.
Licensed casinos remained the industry’s biggest revenue source, generating ₱44.5 billion or more than half of total GGR, while the electronic gaming segment contributed ₱39.9 billion or 45.6 percent.
Meanwhile, Pagcor-operated casinos accounted for ₱3.2 billion, or 3.6 percent of the total.
Despite the quarterly decline, Tengco sounded upbeat, saying industry operators are continuing investments in integrated resort developments, digital expansion, and responsible gaming initiatives.
“We remain hopeful that once geopolitical tensions stabilize, consumer confidence and discretionary spending will also gradually recover, which should help support improved industry performance,” he said. (Derco Rosal)

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