“As a policy, we don’t touch online gambling. It’s a prohibited category for us!” This was the clear-cut response from my former colleague in the banking and finance beat, Jay Tirona, now the chief executive officer of NTT DATA Payment Services Philippines. He said this at the launch of...
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Friday, Aug. 15, raided an alleged illegal gaming hub in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati City, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals, including five foreigners. According to the PNP-CIDG on Aug. 18, the...
Online cockfighting, or e-sabong, continues to operate illegally on unregulated gambling platforms despite a nationwide ban, according to a new study from Filipino-focused sociocultural research firm The Fourth Wall. The report, which examined key operational areas of regulated and unregulated...
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, July 31, made a call to e-wallet corporations to initiate the removal of online gambling links on their platforms as a form of social responsibility. Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, made the call ahead of the upcoming hearings on...
State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) reported a double-digit revenue increase to ₱59 billion in the first half of 2025, driven by a record ₱214.8 billion in gross gaming revenues (GGR) during the period. More than 90 percent or the bulk of Pagcor’s revenues came from...
The national government has intensified its total crackdown against illegal online gambling but appeals for a strict regulation instead of a total ban are increasing as one agency warned that it could push even the licensed platforms to go underground. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating...
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) reported that integrated resort (IR) casinos experienced a decline in gross gaming revenues (GGR) in the first half of this year, despite the overall gaming industry recording significant growth. Pagcor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
Local think tank The Fourth Wall revealed that its recent study suggests that better regulations—not an outright ban—of the online gambling sector are needed to create a safer playing environment and prevent the proliferation of unregulated gambling platforms. The latest study by the...
All gambling-related advertisements have now been added to the list of items or categories subject to mandatory screening under the new agreement between the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and the Ad Standards Council (ASC). Signed on Wednesday, July 16, the memorandum of...
To regulate the growing exposure of Filipinos to gambling, the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has ordered all gaming licensees, operators, suppliers, and system administrators to take down all gambling-related billboards and other out-of-home advertisements. “We...
A group of 14 licensed Philippine online gaming operators is calling for stronger regulation rather than an outright ban, asserting that such a prohibition would push Filipino players into the black market and jeopardize the country 's economic gains. As Congress debates proposals to outlaw...
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) announced its full commitment to intensifying efforts against illegal online gaming activities, acknowledging that it is the prerogative of lawmakers to propose legislation deemed beneficial to the public. In a statement on Friday, July 4,...
