All 266 Philippine standards,
organised by theme

Presidential Decree 1869 of 1983 (the consolidated PAGCOR Charter) grants the Corporation the franchise to operate and license games of chance throughout the Philippines, on land and water within Philippine territorial jurisdiction. The franchise is exclusive within its scope, subject only to other special laws (notably the PCSO charter for lotteries).

Section 13 of PD 1869 vests PAGCOR with the powers to regulate, operate, authorise and license games of chance and to centralise and integrate the right and authority to operate gambling. The same provision is the legal source of the dual regulator-operator role that international observers and the IMF have repeatedly flagged as a structural conflict.

Section 14 of PD 1869 bars specific classes of persons from entering PAGCOR-licensed casinos: government officials connected with the gaming operation, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines including the Philippine National Police, directors and employees of PAGCOR, Filipinos under 21 years of age, and persons financially incapable of betting. Foreign nationals are admissible from age 18.

Republic Act 9487 of 20 June 2007 amended PD 1869 by extending the PAGCOR franchise for a further 25 years from its expiry on 11 July 2008, taking the Charter to 11 July 2033. The Act also expanded PAGCOR's authority to enter into joint ventures and licensing arrangements with private parties.

Executive Order 13 of 2 February 2017 strengthened the fight against illegal gambling and clarified PAGCOR's regulatory jurisdiction over gaming operations under its franchise, including offshore gaming activities. The EO instructed the Department of Justice, the PNP, the NBI and PAGCOR to coordinate enforcement against unauthorised gambling.

Every PAGCOR licensee must clear a fit-and-proper test covering ultimate beneficial owners holding five percent or more, directors, the CEO, the Chief Compliance Officer and the AML Compliance Officer. Vetting includes police clearance, NBI clearance, BIR tax compliance and AMLC look-back.

PAGCOR licences are issued by product category: land-based integrated resort casino, PAGCOR-operated Casino Filipino, e-Games (PeGS) cafes, e-Bingo halls, specialty games, PIGO domestic online and (historically) POGO/IGL offshore. Each class has its own rule set; cross-class operation requires separate authorisations.

The PIGO Rules and Regulations issued in September 2020 grant existing PAGCOR-licensed integrated resort casino operators, PAGCOR-operated venues and accredited e-Games licensees the ability to extend offerings to the online channel for Philippine-resident players. PIGO is not a standalone licence; it is an authorisation layered on top of a land-based permit.

PIGO authorisations are scoped by product class: Sports Betting, e-Casino (table games and slots), e-Bingo and Specialty Games. Live dealer content streamed from a PAGCOR-approved studio falls inside e-Casino. Each class requires a separate PAGCOR approval and corresponding technical certification.

PIGO licensees may only accept wagers from natural persons physically located within Philippine territory at the moment of the transaction. Operators must deploy geo-location verification at registration, log-in and every wager, and must block any IP geolocated outside the Philippines.

Every B2B vendor supplying platform, game content, RNG, live dealer studio, payment processing or KYC to a PIGO licensee must hold a PAGCOR Authorised Service Provider (ASP) accreditation. Accreditation is by service category and requires technical certification by a PAGCOR-recognised testing laboratory.

Primary gaming servers, player account databases and transaction logs for a PIGO product must be hosted on infrastructure physically located within the Philippines. Disaster recovery sites may sit outside the country provided the primary stays in-country and PAGCOR has live read access.

PIGO licensees must remit a regulatory fee calculated as a percentage of gross gaming revenue to PAGCOR on a monthly cycle, with reconciliation filings due on the 15th of the following month. Late remittance accrues interest and may trigger suspension under rule 14.1.

PAGCOR may suspend or revoke a PIGO authorisation on grounds including geo-fence breach, AML failure, technical-standard non-conformance, late remittance of regulatory fees or fit-and-proper degradation. The licensee is entitled to a show-cause notice and a hearing before the PAGCOR Adjudication Committee, except in cases of imminent player harm where summary suspension is available.

An applicant for a PIGO authorisation must demonstrate a minimum paid-up capital of PHP 100 million inside the corporate entity that holds the underlying PAGCOR land-based licence. Capital must be unencumbered, fully subscribed and verified by audited financial statements lodged with PAGCOR at application and at each renewal.

A PIGO authorisation may only be granted to an entity already operating, or under firm commitment to operate, a PAGCOR-licensed land-based gaming venue inside the Philippines. The land-based anchor must be operational and revenue-generating within the term of the PIGO authorisation; failure to bring the anchor online voids the PIGO.

PIGO authorisations are issued co-terminus with the underlying land-based licence, subject to a maximum interim term of three years. Renewal applications must be filed no later than 90 days before expiry and require an updated technical audit, fit-and-proper refresh and proof of continuing PHP 100M capital.

PAGCOR maintains a register of suspended and blacklisted Authorised Service Providers. PIGO and land-based licensees must remove a suspended or blacklisted provider from production within 24 hours of notification and substitute an accredited provider before resuming the affected service.

PAGCOR Authorised Service Provider accreditation is granted by service category: gaming platform, game content and RNG, live dealer studio, payment processing, KYC and identity verification, geo-location, hosting and managed services, and customer support. Each category has its own fit-and-proper, technical and AML requirements, and a provider must obtain a separate accreditation per category it intends to deliver.

Every PIGO licensee contract with an Authorised Service Provider must include unrestricted PAGCOR pass-through audit and inspection rights, immediate access to source systems and data, and a step-in right enabling PAGCOR or the licensee to operate the service in an enforcement scenario.

Republic Act 11590 of 22 September 2021 imposed a 5 percent gaming tax on the gross gaming revenue of POGO licensees and a 25 percent final withholding tax on the gross income of every foreign individual employed by a POGO. The regime now applies only to residual liabilities crystallised before EO 74's closure deadline.

Executive Order 74, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 5 November 2024, prohibits all forms of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations including those rebranded as Internet Gaming Licensees. PAGCOR was directed to cease issuing or renewing licences and to wind down all existing operations by 31 December 2024.

Section 3 of EO 74 directed the Bureau of Immigration to downgrade and cancel visas of foreign nationals employed by POGOs or IGLs, the Department of Labor to recall Alien Employment Permits, and the Department of Energy, Department of Information and Communications Technology and local government units to terminate utility, internet and lease services at known operator sites.

Section 3 of Republic Act 12312 (the Anti-POGO Act of 2025) defines 'offshore gaming operations' as any internet- or telecommunications-based gambling activity conducted from within the Philippines or using Philippine-based infrastructure, personnel, payment rails or service providers, where the wagers are accepted from natural persons located outside the Philippines. The definition expressly captures rebranded successor models including Internet Gaming Licensees, Inland-Offshore hybrids and service providers whose principal economic activity supports an offshore gaming operator wherever incorporated.

Section 4 of RA 12312 imposes an absolute prohibition on the conduct, operation, facilitation, financing or hosting of offshore gaming operations anywhere in the Philippines. The prohibition is permanent — unlike EO 74, which could in principle be reversed by a successor executive order, RA 12312 requires repeal by Congress to be lifted. PAGCOR is statutorily barred from issuing any licence, accreditation or service-provider authorisation that would enable an offshore gaming operation.

Section 5 of RA 12312 extends criminal liability beyond operators to expressly named participant classes: directors, officers, employees and beneficial owners of any offshore gaming entity; landlords leasing premises knowing the intended use; banks, e-wallets and payment processors financing or settling the wagers; marketers, agents and influencers promoting the offering; and lawyers, accountants and corporate-service providers facilitating formation or maintenance. Knowledge or recklessness as to the prohibited use is required for non-principal participants.

Section 8 of RA 12312 punishes any person operating, financing or maintaining an offshore gaming operation with imprisonment of reclusion temporal in its maximum period to reclusion perpetua (17 years and four months to 40 years), plus a fine of not less than PHP 10 million and not more than PHP 50 million per offence. Each day of continued operation after notice constitutes a separate offence.

Section 9 imposes lesser but still substantial penalties on non-principal participants — landlords, payment facilitators, marketers, professional advisers — of prision mayor (six years and one day to 12 years) plus a fine of PHP 5 million to PHP 20 million, where the participant knew or should have known the premises, services or funds were directed to an offshore gaming operation. Repeat violations elevate the offence to the principal-operator band.

Section 10 elevates penalties to the maximum statutory band where the offshore gaming operation is connected to trafficking in persons under RA 9208 as amended, employs or victimises minors, is operated by or with the participation of a public officer, or involves laundering of proceeds of unlawful activity under the AMLA. Where the offender is an alien, deportation after service of sentence is mandatory and re-entry is permanently barred.

Section 12 of RA 12312 directs the Securities and Exchange Commission, on conviction of a corporation under the Act, to revoke its certificate of incorporation and dissolve the entity. Foreign corporations have their licence to do business in the Philippines cancelled. Successor entities formed by the same controlling persons within five years are presumed to be in violation of the Act.

Section 14 authorises civil forfeiture of all proceeds, instrumentalities and property used in or derived from offshore gaming operations, including real property, vehicles, gaming equipment, cryptocurrency holdings and bank balances. AMLC may apply ex parte for asset preservation orders pending criminal conviction. Forfeited assets accrue to the National Treasury, with a portion earmarked for victim restitution and anti-trafficking programmes.

Section 18 of RA 12312 expressly repeals Republic Act 11590 (the 2021 POGO Tax Law) effective with the Act's entry into force, save for residual liabilities crystallised on or before the effective date of EO 74. The repeal removes the 5 percent GGR gaming tax and the 25 percent final withholding tax on alien employee compensation as live revenue measures, leaving them operative only as historical assessment tools for BIR collection of pre-cessation tax debt.

Section 22 directs the Department of Justice, in coordination with PAGCOR, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, AMLC, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Labor and Employment, the NBI and the PNP, to issue Implementing Rules and Regulations within 90 days of the Act's effectivity. Draft IRR were released for public comment in Q1 2026; final consolidated IRR are pending publication in the Official Gazette as of 30 May 2026. Operational enforcement proceeds in the interim under the Act's self-executing criminal provisions.

Section 2 of EO 74 established an inter-agency task force chaired by the Executive Secretary and composed of PAGCOR, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Justice. The task force coordinates physical-site shutdowns, deportation operations, tax assessments and ISP-level blocking of residual offshore platforms.

Section 4 of EO 74 directs the Bureau of Immigration to downgrade the visa status of every foreign national identified as a POGO/IGL worker, with a 59-day grace period to voluntarily depart, after which removal proceedings commence. The Department of Labor and Employment cancels the corresponding Alien Employment Permit; the Department of Foreign Affairs coordinates repatriation with sending-country embassies, particularly the People's Republic of China.

Section 5 of EO 74 requires landlords leasing premises to identified POGO/IGL operators, electric and water utilities serving those premises, and internet service providers carrying their traffic, to cooperate with the task force in terminating leases, disconnecting services and blocking access on official notice. Non-cooperation triggers referral to the DOJ for prosecution as a co-conspirator in continued illegal operation; cooperation insulates the third party from successor-liability claims under the Act.

Section 7 of EO 74 directs PAGCOR, in coordination with the BIR and the Bureau of Customs, to inventory, seize and dispose of gaming equipment, servers, cryptocurrency mining rigs and ancillary infrastructure abandoned at decommissioned POGO/IGL sites. Equipment may be auctioned (where lawful resale outside the prohibited use is possible) or destroyed; proceeds flow to the National Treasury. Import duties and VAT on residual inventory are assessed against the licensee's bond.

Through 2025 the Bureau of Immigration conducted rolling deportation operations against foreign nationals identified as former POGO/IGL workers who had overstayed the EO 74 grace period. Cumulative deportations exceeded 25,000 by mid-2025, the largest single-vector immigration enforcement programme in Philippine history. Sending countries — China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia — coordinated chartered flights with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue's POGO closure-audit unit issued final delinquency assessments through 2025 covering pre-cessation 5 percent gaming tax under RA 11590, 25 percent withholding on alien employee compensation, regular corporate income tax on non-gaming revenues, VAT on service-provider invoicing and surcharges and interest. Tax-clearance certificates required for SEC dissolution and director clearance are conditional on settlement of these assessments.

Through 2024-2026 the NBI Cybercrime Division and Anti-Human Trafficking Division ran joint investigations into ex-POGO sites repurposed as crypto-investment Ponzi operations and pig-butchering scam hubs, often using the same foreign workforce held under conditions of debt bondage. Landmark raids at Bamban (Tarlac), Porac (Pampanga) and Pasay produced trafficking-in-persons indictments alongside RA 12312 enforcement.

Section 1 declared that the Rules and Regulations for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations were promulgated pursuant to the state policy of centralizing and integrating into one corporate entity all games of chance not heretofore authorized by existing franchises or permitted by laws. The provision anchored PAGCOR's exclusive franchise authority over offshore-facing internet gaming originating from the Philippines.

Section 2 set five licensing objectives invoking PAGCOR's P.D. 1869 mandate: (a) curtail proliferation of illegal online games within Philippine territorial jurisdiction whether on land or sea; (b) ensure proper regulation and monitoring especially of operators using foreign franchises in fact operating outside the franchisor's territorial limits; (c) provide a legal pathway for operators absent any home regulator; (d) safeguard the welfare of the Filipino people by ensuring no Filipino, whether minor or of age, could place bets or be exploited; and (e) monitor that the games were not used to commit crimes or circumvent anti money-laundering laws.

Section 3 stated that an offshore gaming license was a mere privilege and not a vested right, and that the licence could be suspended or cancelled at any time at the discretion of the PAGCOR Board of Directors for grounds provided under the Rules. The provision foreclosed any due-process or contractual-rights argument against revocation.

Section 4(a) defined the Licensing Body or PAGCOR as the regulator of gaming licensees operating within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines whether on land or on sea. Section 4(c) defined Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) as entities which provide and participate in offshore gaming services i.e. provide the game to players, take bets and pay players' winnings. Section 4(d) defined Licensee as a POGO duly licensed and authorized by PAGCOR to provide offshore gaming services, clarifying that gaming agents, service providers and gaming support providers supplying only a particular component were not the Licensee but required separate registration with PAGCOR.

Section 4(f) defined POGO Gaming Agent as the representatives in the Philippines of offshore-based licensees. Section 4(g) defined Service Providers as entities providing components of offshore online gaming operations, comprising three sub-tiers: (g.1) Gaming Software / Platform Provider for gaming systems, games, sports book and pool betting; (g.2) Business Process Outsourcing Provider for call centres and IT support services whose service excluded the taking of actual bets; and (g.3) Data/Content Streaming Provider for real-time streaming of casino games produced from a live dealer studio set-up. Section 4(h) defined Gaming Support Provider as a company producing proprietary products and services not necessarily inside the licensee's gaming system but important to the online gaming set-up, e.g. payment solutions, player registration, rewards and marketing modules.

Section 4(b) defined Offshore Gaming as the offering by a PAGCOR-authorised licensee of online games of chance via the internet using a network and software or program, exclusively to offshore authorized players excluding Filipinos abroad, who have registered and established an online gaming account with the licensee. The definition listed three components: (b.1) a prize consisting of money or something of value won under the rules of the game; (b.2) a player physically located outside the Philippines who is not a Filipino citizen, enters the game remotely via a communication device with internet access, and gives or undertakes to give monetary payment or other valuable consideration; and (b.3) winning of a prize decided by chance.

Section 4(e) defined Authorized Players as those who could access the licensee's games via its website subject to four criteria: (e.1) offshore individuals physically in another country (excluding Filipino citizens even if abroad and individuals in countries which prohibit participation of their citizens in online gaming); (e.2) foreign nationals while within Philippine territory were NOT allowed to participate; (e.3) age of at least 21 years old or the applicable legal age in foreign countries where the players reside; and (e.4) players must be registered.

Section 6 limited the Offshore Gaming Licence (issued to the Licensee) to two entity classes: (a) Philippine-based operator, a duly constituted business enterprise organised in the Philippines; and (b) Offshore-based operator, a duly constituted business enterprise organised in any foreign country that engaged the services of a PAGCOR-accredited Service / Support Provider for its online gaming activity.

Section 7 limited the Offshore Gaming Licence coverage to two verticals: (a) e-Casino, comprising RNG-based or 'live' dealer games and including table games, slots, other card, wheel and dice games, skill games and arcade-type games; and (b) Sports betting.

Section 8 set the Offshore Gaming Licence requirements: (a) duly constituted business enterprise organised in the Philippines or any foreign country, with a POGO Gaming Agent mandatory for any non-Philippine entity; (b) compliance with PAGCOR's licensing process including (b.1) third-party probity check on the applicant's identity and on each key official covering finances, integrity, competence and criminality, (b.2) review of business plan, (b.3) review of statutory and operational documentation, and (b.4) review of the gaming system aptly certified by a PAGCOR-accredited gaming laboratory; and (c) a Letter of No Objection (LONO) from the LGU on which the offshore gaming operations would be conducted.

Section 9 set the Offshore Gaming Licence fee schedule: (a) Application and Processing Fees of US$50,000 for e-Casino and US$40,000 for Sports Betting; (b) Licence Fees on approval of US$200,000 for e-Casino and US$150,000 for Sports Betting; and (c) interim Gaming Taxes for the initial six-month period (pending an effective intermediary platform) of US$10,000/month per table for Live Studio Set-up, US$100/month per player for RNG-based games (card, dice, wheel and tile, slots, video poker, arcade-type and skill games), and US$40,000/month for Sports Betting.

Section 10 established POGO Gaming Agent Accreditation as the mechanism for providing in-Philippines representation to an offshore-based gaming operator.

Section 11 required the representative agent of the offshore gaming operator to be a duly constituted business enterprise organised in the Philippines, compliant with PAGCOR's licensing process including (a) probity check on the applicant's identity and on each key official covering finances, integrity, competence and criminality, and (b) review of statutory and operational documentation.

Section 12 set the POGO Gaming Agent accreditation fee at US$20,000 to cover probity cost and site visit as necessary.

Section 13 established Gaming Software/Platform Provider Registration as the registration class for Service Providers of gaming systems or platforms leased by the offshore gaming operator.

Section 14 required the Gaming Software or Platform Provider to be a duly constituted business enterprise compliant with PAGCOR's licensing process, including (a) probity check on identity and each key official covering finances, integrity, competence and criminality, and (b) review of statutory and operational documentation.

Section 15 set the Gaming Software/Platform Provider registration fee at US$20,000 to cover probity cost and site visit as necessary.

Section 16 established Gaming Support Provider Registration as the class for providers of gaming products sourced separately by the operator outside its leased gaming system, such as payment solutions and player registration systems, among others.

Section 17 required the Gaming Support Provider to be a duly constituted business enterprise compliant with PAGCOR's licensing process, including (a) probity check on identity and each key official covering finances, integrity, competence and criminality, and (b) review of statutory and operational documentation.

Section 18 set the Gaming Support Provider registration fee at US$20,000 to cover probity cost and site visit as necessary, payable for eligibility to engage in the supply or sale of gaming products and solutions.

Section 19 required Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) providers offering call-centre services to the operator to be registered with PAGCOR.

Section 20 required BPO registration applicants to (a) be a duly constituted business enterprise in the Philippines; (b) comply with PAGCOR's licensing requirements including (b.1) probity check on identity and each key official and (b.2) review of statutory and operational documentation; and (c) submit a duly executed Service Agreement with a licensed Offshore Gaming Operator when applicable.

Section 21 set the BPO registration fee at US$50,000 to cover probity cost and site visit as necessary.

Section 22 required Data/Content Streaming Providers (real-time streaming of casino games from a live dealer gaming studio) to be registered and to obtain a Permit to Possess (PTP) of their gaming equipment and paraphernalia. The PTP allowed the provider to import, store, transfer/move, ship-out and operate gaming equipment and paraphernalia in its gaming studio for the sole purpose of video streaming live gaming action in conjunction with offshore gaming operations; the PTP was site-specific and issued on a per-venue basis, and taxes and duties on importation of equipment were for the provider's sole account.

Section 23 required Data/Content Streaming Provider applicants to submit (a) a duly accomplished Application for Permit to Possess (OG Form), (b) registration certificates from DTI or SEC as applicable, (c) photocopy of the Mayor's Permit or Business Permit, (d) compliance with PAGCOR licensing requirements including probity check on identity and each key official and review of statutory and operational documentation, and (e) a duly executed Service Agreement with a licensed Offshore Gaming Operator.

Section 24 assessed Data/Content Streaming Provider applicants an application and processing fee of US$40,000 plus a Permit to Possess fee of US$100,000 per studio (covering probity, regular inspection and monitoring). Licensed Offshore Gaming Operators in possession of their own live gaming studios likewise had to apply for a PTP at US$2,000 per table. Any unexplained loss, unauthorised transfer or sale of the equipment or paraphernalia was fined US$100,000 chargeable against the licensee's posted bond.

Section 25 required licensees, agents and service providers to renew their licences, accreditations and registrations yearly and to comply with the renewal requirements at least one month prior to expiration, for a fee similar to their application and processing fees.

Section 26 forbade the PAGCOR Board from granting a licence unless satisfied that the applicant met five eligibility tests: (a) good repute considering character, honesty and integrity; (b) not associated with any person of poor repute or with undesirable or unsatisfactory financial resources; (c) sufficient experience and ability to establish and manage offshore gaming operations; (d) not among those excluded from gaming under the Rules or any other law; and (e) for an artificial person, stable financial standing and satisfactory corporate structure.

Section 27(a) required licensees to post a cash performance bond of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND (US$250,000) dollars, to be used to settle accountabilities with PAGCOR in case the licensee absconded or was found to be under-declaring gross winnings to deprive PAGCOR of its rightful share. Any amount deducted from the cash bond had to be replenished within 72 hours of the deduction, and the bond had to remain valid for the entire duration of the licence and any renewal.

Section 27(b) barred licensees from stopping or interrupting operations during the licence's validity without due notice to PAGCOR at least three days ahead of the scheduled stoppage or interruption, so that players were properly notified and to avoid creating the notion that the licensee had suddenly stopped its operations to abscond from its obligations.

Section 27(c) required licensees to submit to PAGCOR, during the period of remittance, the stipulated monthly reports of all offshore gaming transactions in the format required by PAGCOR.

Section 27(d) required licensed offshore gaming operators to fully integrate their offshore online gaming operations with PAGCOR's intermediation platform within six months from commencement of operations, for monitoring purposes.

Section 27(e) required the licensee to allow inspection of premises, machines and equipment being used in its operations at any time upon request of PAGCOR's monitoring and enforcement personnel duly assigned for the purpose.

Section 27(f) subjected all wagering, financial and administrative software to PAGCOR's evaluation and approval, with testing and inspection of the wagering system — particularly the components intended to safeguard against betting by Filipinos or persons prohibited from gambling in their home countries — conducted by PAGCOR prior to implementation.

Section 27(g) subjected all hardware equipment to PAGCOR's evaluation and approval; licensed offshore gaming operators could not install, modify, decommission, remove or destroy any such equipment without written authority from PAGCOR.

Section 27(h) made licensed offshore gaming operators solely responsible for ensuring that no wagers would be accepted from Filipinos, persons below 21 years of age, and from jurisdictions where such forms of gambling are prohibited.

Section 27(i) required licensed offshore gaming operators to notify all of their players that bets shall be deemed 'void where prohibited by law'.

Section 27(j) provided that if a licensed offshore gaming operator was found to be violating any provision of the Anti-Money Laundering Law or any law of the Republic of the Philippines, the licence would be deemed automatically terminated.

Section 28(a) authorised the PAGCOR Board to suspend a licence during the pendency of investigation where, in the opinion of the Board, the licensee was not, or was no longer, a suitable person to hold the licence.

Section 28(b) made conviction of an offence in violation of the anti-gambling laws of the Philippines a suspension ground.

Section 28(c) made conviction of any serious offence under any other law a suspension ground.

Section 28(d) made violation of any condition attached to the licence a suspension ground.

Section 28(e) made a one-day cessation of operations without due notice to PAGCOR — with no explanation of cause — or any attempt to abscond from obligations to players a suspension ground.

Section 28(f) made failure to discharge financial commitments a suspension ground.

Section 28(g) made bankruptcy of the licensee or being under rehabilitation a suspension ground.

Section 28(h) made obtaining the licence by a materially false or misleading representation, or in some other improper way, a suspension ground.

Section 28(i) made failure to prevent Filipino citizens, minors and those prohibited by law from participating in the offshore games a suspension ground.

Section 28(j) made failure to operate within one month of the licence's issuance a suspension ground.

Section 28(k) authorised suspension where required to ensure that the public interest was not adversely or materially affected, or that the integrity of the conduct of gaming was not jeopardised. The closing paragraph of Section 28 provided that a finding of guilt for any of the Sec. 28 grounds would result in cancellation of the licence and automatic forfeiture of the performance bond, with suspension or cancellation effected by written notice taking effect on receipt or tender if the licensee refused.

Section 29 provided that licences took the form of a certificate for licensed operators and could not be transferred by sale, inheritance succession, gift or otherwise to any person without prior consent of the PAGCOR Board, under any additional transfer condition the Board imposed, and only if the transferee met the Rules' requirements.

Section 30 stated that the provisions of the Rules were for the initial six (6) months of implementation only, and could be revised, amended, supplemented or totally replaced as needed after six months based on evaluation of the results of the initial implementation.

Section 31 limited applications for the offshore gaming licence to twenty-five (25) applicants during the initial six months of implementation, to ensure focused and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation. The Board could increase the number at its discretion if circumstances warranted.

Section 32 restricted applicants to those who could establish they were previously operating under franchises issued by other regulatory agencies. Operators previously running online games illegally were not permitted to apply for licences.

Section 33 established an Ad Hoc Licensing Committee for speedy processing of licences, accreditations and registrations, composed of select employees from the Gaming, Licensing and Development Department (GLDD) in close coordination with a representative from the Office of the CEO. Final grant of licence was subject to PAGCOR Board approval.

Section 34 directed PAGCOR to make proper representations with other law-enforcement agencies tasked with gambling and immigration laws, securing the participation of those agencies in an inter-agency task force tasked with: (a) surveillance and identification of illegal online gaming operators; (b) recommendations on closure and cessation; (c) reporting violations by licensed offshore operators; and (d) reporting extortion activities directed at licensed offshore operators by other law-enforcement agencies. The body was named Task Force POGO and was composed of personnel from the Office of the CEO, select CMED employees of PAGCOR, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration.

Following the issuance of Executive Order No. 74 which mandates the immediate ban of Philippine offshore gaming operations in the country, please be advised that ALL Internet Gaming Licensees and Authorized Providers were cancelled effective December 15, 2024. PAGCOR further warns that any company claiming to hold a valid offshore gaming/internet gaming license from PAGCOR is fraudulent and unauthorized.

Republic Act 10927 of 14 July 2017 amended Section 3 of the AMLA to add casinos, including internet-based casinos and ship-based casinos, as covered persons. The amendment closed the FATF-identified gap that had kept Philippine casinos outside customer-due-diligence and reporting obligations until the year after the 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist.

Republic Act 11521 of 29 January 2021 further amended the AMLA to expand customer due-diligence obligations, codify targeted financial sanctions for proliferation financing, and grant AMLC additional investigative tools. Casinos must screen against UNSC consolidated lists and the AMLC sanctions list at onboarding and on an ongoing basis.

RA 10927 fixed the casino covered-transaction threshold at a single cash transaction in excess of PHP 5 million or its equivalent in any other currency. Every transaction at or above the threshold must be reported to AMLC within five working days of occurrence, irrespective of whether suspicion of money laundering exists.

The AMLC Regulatory Issuance for the casino sector requires risk-based CDD calibrated to the customer's profile, transaction patterns and channel risk. Enhanced due diligence applies to politically exposed persons, junket players, high-rollers and customers from FATF high-risk jurisdictions.

Casinos must file a Suspicious Transaction Report with AMLC within five working days of becoming aware of the suspicion, regardless of the amount involved. STRs cover transactions with no underlying legal or trade obligation, transactions inconsistent with the customer profile and transactions linked to predicate offences including human trafficking and corruption.

Every PAGCOR-licensed casino must appoint a senior AML Compliance Officer (AMLCO) with direct access to the board, independent reporting lines, and authority to file STRs without management vetting. The board is personally accountable for AML programme effectiveness and must approve the enterprise-wide risk assessment annually.

PAGCOR requires every land-based casino site and every PIGO operations centre to have a dedicated on-site AML compliance officer reporting into the group AMLCO. The on-site officer is the first point of contact for PAGCOR inspectors and is personally responsible for shift-level CTR and STR triage.

Section 2 of RA 10927 amends AMLA section 3(a) to add casinos — including internet-based casinos and ship-based casinos — to the enumerated list of covered persons, with the qualifier that the AML obligations attach only to casino cash transactions related to gaming. The amendment removed the long-standing carve-out that had kept Philippine casino activity outside AMLC's perimeter.

Section 4 of RA 10927 amends AMLA section 9 to require casinos to establish and record the true identity of their customers based on official documents and to maintain a system of verifying that identity for the duration of the customer relationship and for at least five years after the account closes or the transaction is completed.

Section 6 of RA 10927 designates the Anti-Money Laundering Council as the primary supervisory authority for casino AML/CFT compliance, with PAGCOR retaining its statutory mandate as gaming regulator. AMLC may issue rules, conduct examinations, impose administrative fines and coordinate with PAGCOR on licence-affecting referrals.

Section 12 of RA 10927 codifies the suspicious-transaction trigger events for casinos: no underlying legal or trade obligation, deviation from customer profile, structuring designed to evade the threshold, transactions tied to a predicate offence under AMLA section 3(i), and any transaction reasonably believed to be connected to unlawful activity. The trigger is reasonable belief, not certainty.

Section 14 of RA 10927 fixes a five-year minimum retention period for all casino AML records including customer identification, transaction records, account files, business correspondence and STR/CTR working papers. Records under active investigation must be retained until AMLC certifies release.

Section 3 of RA 11521 expands AMLA section 9(a) to require covered persons including casinos to identify and verify the beneficial owner behind every account, defined as any natural person who ultimately owns or controls 25 percent or more of the customer, or who exercises effective control by other means. Beneficial-ownership data must be kept current throughout the relationship.

Section 8 of RA 11521 expands the predicate-offence catalogue under AMLA section 3(i) to include tax evasion above PHP 25 million per taxable year, violation of the Strategic Trade Management Act, and proliferation-financing offences. Casino STRs must reference the specific predicate offence reasonably believed to underlie the suspicious activity.

Section 10 of RA 11521 grants AMLC the power to issue an ex parte freeze order on any property or funds related to UN Security Council Resolution 1267 (terrorism) and 1718 (proliferation) designations, effective immediately upon issuance and without prior notice to the account holder. Casinos must implement the freeze within 24 hours.

Section 12 of RA 11521 extends AMLC's subpoena and bank-inquiry powers to casino accounts and casino-held property, permitting examination without a court order where the AMLC has probable cause to believe the account is related to an unlawful activity or AML/CFT offence enumerated in AMLA.

Rule 10.B of the CIRR requires casinos to screen every player and every beneficial owner against the UN Security Council consolidated list, the AMLC sanctions list and the lists of designated terrorist organisations under the Human Security Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. Screening must occur at onboarding, on every list refresh and at periodic review.

Rule 11.A of the CIRR requires multi-venue casino groups and casinos operating both land-based and online channels to maintain group-level AML coordination, with a single consolidated customer risk view, shared watchlist data and harmonised STR/CTR aggregation across every venue and channel.

Rule 3.A of the AMLC Casino Implementing Rules and Regulations requires every casino to operate a tiered customer-identification programme: standard CDD for routine players, simplified CDD where AMLC-approved low-risk indicators apply, and enhanced CDD for PEPs, junket players, customers from high-risk jurisdictions and customers triggering monitoring alerts. Each tier has its own minimum documentation set.

Rule 5.B of the CIRR holds the host casino accountable for the AML compliance of every junket promoter operating on its premises or under its brand. The casino must conduct full due diligence on the junket operator, its beneficial owners and its agents, monitor junket-player transactions in real time, and file STRs on suspicious junket activity even where the underlying player is identified by the junket rather than the casino.

Rule 6.C of the CIRR requires casinos using electronic-payment rails, ticket-in-ticket-out systems and cashless wallets to apply the same CDD, monitoring, threshold and reporting obligations as physical cash. Wallet top-ups, ticket redemptions and player-to-player transfers must be aggregated against the PHP 5 million covered-transaction threshold.

Rule 7.B of the CIRR requires every casino to maintain a board-approved Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Programme (MTPP) covering risk assessment, CDD, monitoring, reporting, training, record-keeping, independent audit, and the AMLCO function. The MTPP must be reviewed at least annually and resubmitted to AMLC after material changes.

Rule 8.A of the CIRR requires every casino to deliver an AML/CFT training programme to all customer-facing, cage, surveillance, IT and senior-management personnel at onboarding and annually thereafter. The curriculum must cover RA 9160 as amended, CIRR obligations, red-flag typologies, STR/CTR mechanics and the tipping-off prohibition.

Rule 9.D of the CIRR requires every casino to commission an independent AML/CFT audit at least every two years, conducted by personnel not involved in the design or operation of the MTPP. The audit report and management response must be submitted to the board, retained for five years and made available to AMLC and PAGCOR examiners.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.11-2023 extends sector-specific obligations to internet-based casinos, requiring real-time digital KYC (liveness + ID document authentication), payment-channel risk-rating, device-fingerprint linkage to player identity, and dedicated rules for e-wallet, instant-bank-transfer and cryptocurrency-adjacent rails. Anonymous or pseudonymous accounts are prohibited.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.2-2018 obliges casinos to file Covered Transaction Reports and Suspicious Transaction Reports electronically through the AMLC reporting portal (the Philippine implementation of the UNODC goAML platform). Paper filing is not accepted; the casino must provision dedicated user credentials and maintain submission logs.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.4-2019 specifies CTR filing mechanics: every cash transaction in excess of PHP 5 million (or foreign-currency equivalent) must be reported within five working days of the transaction date, using the prescribed casino CTR template that captures patron identity, transaction type, denomination breakdown, table or device ID and the cage shift.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.5-2020 requires every casino to deploy an automated transaction-monitoring system covering chip purchases, cage transactions, cashless wallet flows and online wagers. The system must apply threshold, velocity, structuring and pattern-based rules calibrated to the casino's risk assessment, and must produce alerts for AMLCO disposition within defined SLAs.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.7-2021 prescribes minimum record-keeping standards: customer-identification, transaction, account, AML programme and training records must be retained in a format that allows AMLC to reconstruct individual transactions within ten working days of a request. Off-site backups are required and must be located in a jurisdiction with mutual legal assistance arrangements with the Philippines.

AMLC Regulatory Issuance A.9-2022 codifies the casino's duties during on-site AMLC inspections: unrestricted access to the cage, surveillance footage, transaction-monitoring console, AML case-management system and senior-management interview availability. Refusal, delay or obstruction is itself a reportable breach and an aggravating factor in penalty calculation.

PAGCOR Circular 1-2019 requires every licensed casino to designate an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer at senior-management level, with a minimum of five years' AML/CFT experience, no disqualifying criminal record, and a fit-and-proper clearance. The AMLCO designation must be registered with PAGCOR and AMLC within 15 calendar days of appointment.

PAGCOR Circular 2-2020 requires the AMLCO and the alternate AMLCO to complete an AMLC-accredited certification programme within twelve months of appointment and to log at least twenty hours of continuing AML education annually. Failure to certify within the window is grounds for suspension of the AML programme approval.

PAGCOR Circular 4-2022 requires that the AMLCO report functionally to the board AML committee (or full board if no committee exists) with a dotted line only to the CEO for administrative purposes. The AMLCO has unrestricted authority to escalate STR decisions, freeze recommendations and programme-effectiveness findings directly to the board without management filtering.

PIGO and AMLC overlap requires a Tier 1 KYC capture at account opening: PhilSys National ID, passport, driver's licence, SSS UMID, GSIS eCard, PRC ID or postal ID with photograph, recorded against a verified selfie liveness match. Tier 1 is the minimum for any wagering activity above zero.

Tier 2 KYC applies to players exceeding cumulative deposits of PHP 500,000 in any rolling 30 days, to PEPs and to customers from FATF high-risk jurisdictions. The casino must capture source-of-funds and source-of-wealth evidence, perform adverse-media screening and obtain senior-management approval to continue the relationship.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas rules require any natural person to declare physical transport of Philippine pesos exceeding PHP 50,000 and foreign currency or monetary instruments equivalent to USD 10,000 at the point of departure from or arrival into the Philippines. Casino chips, vouchers and electronic-money instruments fall within the declaration regime; casinos must brief high-value patrons at the cage.

PAGCOR maintains a centralised Restricted Persons Register listing self-excluded players, players excluded on family-member petition and persons banned by PAGCOR order. Every licensed land-based casino and PIGO operator must query the register at every entry or log-in and refuse service to any listed person.

A player may enroll in the PAGCOR Restricted Persons Register by lodging a signed Self-Exclusion Application with the licensee's RG desk, the PAGCOR Corporate Social Responsibility Group, or the licensee's online RG portal. The application requires a valid government ID, a photograph captured at intake for biometric matching, and a written acknowledgement of the consequences of exclusion including forfeiture of unredeemed loyalty rewards.

The PAGCOR self-exclusion programme imposes a minimum six-month exclusion, extendable in 12-month increments and convertible to a permanent ban on request. A reinstatement application after the minimum period requires a written request and a counselling-touchpoint acknowledgement before the player can be removed from the register.

After the minimum six-month self-exclusion period elapses, reinstatement is not automatic. The player must lodge a written reinstatement request, complete a counselling touchpoint with a PAGCOR-recognised RG provider, and observe a further 30-day reflection period before the RPR entry is lifted. Permanent self-exclusion is irrevocable in the online channel.

A spouse, parent, child of legal age, or sibling may petition PAGCOR to add a relative to the Restricted Persons Register where the petitioner can show that continued gambling is causing demonstrable family or financial harm. PAGCOR's CSR Group reviews the petition with supporting evidence — bank statements, payslips, sworn affidavits — and may exclude the subject for up to five years, subject to a right of reply.

Section 14(a) of PD 1869 bars active government officials connected with gaming, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and PAGCOR directors and employees from entering PAGCOR-licensed casinos at any time, including on personal leave. The prohibition is absolute and is enforced by ID matching at venue entry.

Section 14(c) of PD 1869 prohibits Filipino citizens under 21 years of age from entering PAGCOR-licensed casinos. The PIGO RegFramework extends the same age floor to all online account holders identifying as Filipino citizens or residents.

PIGO licensees must offer every player the ability to set daily, weekly and monthly deposit and loss limits at registration and on demand. Reductions take effect immediately; increases are subject to a 24-hour cool-off before they apply.

Beyond deposit and loss caps, every PIGO product must let the player set a maximum single-wager amount and a maximum cumulative session duration. When the session-time limit is reached, the platform must terminate active play, settle open wagers and block re-entry for at least 15 minutes.

PIGO products must surface a reality-check prompt at intervals no longer than 60 minutes of continuous play, displaying elapsed session time, net position and access to the responsible-gambling tools. The player must actively dismiss the prompt to continue.

Licensees must maintain an automated markers-of-harm engine flagging accounts on triggers including unusually rapid deposit escalation, repeated failed deposits, late-night session concentration, chasing patterns after losses, and use of multiple payment instruments in a short window. A flagged account must receive a documented customer interaction within 72 hours.

Every PAGCOR licensee must train customer-facing staff on markers of harm and require documented customer-interaction interventions when those markers appear. Training must be repeated annually and certified by an accredited responsible-gambling training provider.

Every newly registered PIGO account is opened with a default daily deposit cap of PHP 25,000 and a default weekly cap of PHP 100,000. Players may raise the defaults only after an enhanced affordability touchpoint conducted by the licensee, with documented proof of disposable income retained on file.

Every PAGCOR-licensed venue and PIGO product surface must prominently display the PAGCOR Responsible Gaming hotline and the Department of Health National Center for Mental Health crisis line (NCMH 1553). Online surfaces must render the helpline in the same font weight as deposit and withdrawal calls-to-action.

Every land-based casino must post bilingual (English and Filipino) responsible-gambling signage at all entrances, cashier cages and on every gaming table and slot bank, and must stock printed RG brochures at the customer-service desk. Signage must include the PAGCOR RG hotline, the NCMH 1553 number, and the self-exclusion intake instructions.

Under the PAGCOR Junket Operator Rules, a licensed junket may bring in players only if they are foreign nationals or Filipino citizens with verified residence abroad for at least one year. Junket operators must screen every guest against the PAGCOR Restricted Persons Register, the AMLC sanctions list and the BI immigration watchlist before issuing markers.

Junket operators must cap the aggregate marker credit extended to any single player at the amount cleared during fit-and-proper review and may not roll over an unpaid marker into a fresh programme. Default on a marker triggers an automatic referral to the licensee's RG team and a written PAGCOR notification within 72 hours.

A PAGCOR licensee must acknowledge any player complaint within 24 hours and issue a substantive written resolution within 15 calendar days. Where the complaint involves a withheld payout, the disputed amount must be ring-fenced and segregated from operating funds until resolution or PAGCOR escalation.

Where a player is dissatisfied with the licensee's resolution, the dispute may be escalated to the PAGCOR Gaming Licensing and Enforcement Department, which has authority to issue a binding determination after review of the complete dispute file. PAGCOR decisions are appealable to the PAGCOR Board and then to the Office of the President under PD 1869.

Every PAGCOR licensee advertisement, in any medium, must carry a clearly legible responsible-gambling warning and the PAGCOR licensee mark. Broadcast and digital placements must include the warning for the full duration of the spot, not solely on an end card.

Gambling advertising in the Philippines may not target persons under 21, may not appear in media where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 21, and may not use imagery, voice talent or endorsers that would have particular appeal to minors.

Every bonus, free-bet or welcome offer must publish full terms including wagering requirements, time limits, eligible games and maximum cash-out, in a manner accessible at the point the offer is communicated. PAGCOR may direct removal of any offer found to be materially misleading.

Senate Bill 2868 and counterpart House Bills filed in 2025 (the Anti-Online Gambling Bill package) propose to prohibit celebrity, athlete and social-media influencer endorsements of online gambling, ban gambling advertising across social media platforms, and prohibit the funding of gambling accounts via e-wallets and credit cards. As of mid-2026 the package is pending consolidated committee approval.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board requires all televised gambling advertising to carry an SPG (Strong Parental Guidance) or higher classification and bars placement in time slots before 9pm. PAGCOR advertising guidelines incorporate MTRCB classification by reference.

PAGCOR licensees are accountable for the conduct of every affiliate, marketing partner and tipster channel acting on their behalf. Affiliates must be registered with the licensee, contractually bound to PAGCOR advertising rules and removed within 24 hours of any material breach.

Television and radio advertising of gambling products may not air between 06:00 and 22:00 on free-to-air channels and 06:00 and 21:00 on cable. Sports-betting promotions may not air within 30 minutes before, during, or 30 minutes after a live sporting event broadcast in the Philippines.

Under MTRCB Circular 2024-02, every broadcast gambling advertisement must be pre-classified by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board prior to airing. Spots are issued an SPG (Strong Parental Guidance) classification at minimum, which restricts placement to MTRCB-cleared time slots.

PAGCOR-licensee advertising may not depict gambling as a path to financial security, professional success, social status or sexual or romantic appeal; may not show winning as a routine or expected outcome; and may not feature persons appearing to be under 25 even if the talent is older. False or unverifiable claims about RTP, jackpot frequency or win rates are prohibited outright.

Advertising and bonus promotion copy must not use the words "risk-free", "no-risk", "free bet" without immediate qualification, "guaranteed win", "sure thing" or any close translation in Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon or other Philippine languages. The use of "free" in any bonus context requires the wagering requirement to appear at equal prominence.

Endorsements by celebrities, professional athletes or persons of significant public profile must include a clear, audible disclosure that the endorser is a paid spokesperson. Active Philippine national-team athletes, PBA players and active members of regulated sports may not endorse betting products covering their own sport. PAGCOR may direct removal of any endorsement deemed to glamorise gambling.

Social-media influencers, livestream personalities and content creators promoting a PIGO product must register with the licensee, carry the licensee's PAGCOR licence number in profile bio, label every promotional post with #ad or the platform-native paid-partnership tag, and may not stream gameplay before 22:00 Philippine time. PAGCOR holds the licensee accountable for every influencer post under its banner.

Digital advertising for PIGO products must use age-gating at the ad-server level (minimum 21+) and must exclude audience segments built from interests including video games marketed to minors, school content, anime targeting under-18s and any segment with a primary audience under 21. Geo-targeting must exclude IP ranges associated with schools, government offices and military bases.

Billboards, transit panels and other OOH placements promoting gambling products may not be sited within 100 metres of a school, church, hospital or government-recognised youth facility. LGU permit conditions take precedence where stricter; PAGCOR may direct removal of any non-compliant placement at the licensee's cost.

Licensees must publish on a public-facing terms page the basis on which affiliate commissions are paid (revenue share, CPA or hybrid) and may not structure commissions to incentivise targeting of self-excluded or otherwise restricted players. Lifetime negative-carryover clauses are prohibited where they would create an incentive for the affiliate to obscure player harm.

Tipster pages, prediction Telegram channels, YouTube channels and Facebook groups acting on behalf of a PAGCOR licensee may not present picks as guaranteed wins, may not solicit subscription fees gated on bet placement, and must carry the PAGCOR licence mark plus the RG warning on every pinned post or channel description.

Welcome bonus and matched-deposit offers from PIGO licensees may not impose wagering requirements above 35x the bonus amount, and may not require play on games with PAGCOR-certified RTP below 92 percent to clear the requirement. Bonus expiry must be at least 30 days from credit.

Licensees must suppress all reactivation offers, deposit-bonus emails, free-bet SMS and push notifications to any player who is self-excluded, on the Restricted Persons Register, in an active cool-off, or flagged by the markers-of-harm engine. Suppression lists must be enforced across email, SMS, push, in-product and affiliate channels.

The Ad Standards Council Code applies to gambling advertising in parallel to PAGCOR rules; print, OOH and digital placements must clear ASC review prior to publication. ASC complaints lodged against gambling creative are referred to PAGCOR for parallel enforcement where licensee conduct is implicated.

Under the 2024 PAGCOR-Department of Health Memorandum of Agreement, every PAGCOR licensee advertisement, in-product RG screen and venue signage must surface the DOH National Center for Mental Health crisis line 1553 and route inbound RG calls to the NCMH gambling-harm pathway when the caller consents.

Senate Bill 686, filed in the 20th Congress as part of the Anti-Online Gambling legislative package, would prohibit any celebrity, athlete, social-media influencer or person of significant public profile from endorsing online gambling products in any medium. Counterpart House Bill 11231 carries the same restriction. The bills remain pending as of 2026.

SB 686 would prohibit all paid advertising of online gambling products on social-media platforms accessible to Philippine users and would bar Philippine-licensed e-wallets (GCash, Maya, GrabPay) from processing gambling deposits. HB 11231 would empower the National Telecommunications Commission to block any non-compliant platform.

House Bill 11231 would impose criminal penalties — fines up to PHP 5 million and imprisonment of up to six years — on persons who advertise, promote or solicit participation in online gambling outside the strict carve-outs of the bill. The penalties would apply jointly to licensees, affiliates, agencies and the talent featured.

Every random number generator used in a PAGCOR-licensed product must be certified by a PAGCOR-recognised testing laboratory against international RNG standards including those used by GLI, BMM, eCOGRA and iTech Labs. Certification covers statistical randomness, unpredictability, non-repeatability and resistance to forecast attack.

Every game launched on a PIGO product must publish its theoretical return-to-player percentage and submit the maths model to a recognised testing lab for audit. PAGCOR will reject any product where actual RTP materially deviates from the certified theoretical figure across a defined volume window.

Material changes to the gaming platform, RNG, payments engine, KYC integration or RG controls require PAGCOR notification and, depending on impact, prior approval and lab re-certification. Cosmetic-only changes are logged but do not require approval.

PIGO licensees must implement an information-security programme aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 controls, including encryption of player data in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication for administrative access, and an annual independent penetration test reported to PAGCOR.

Live dealer content offered to PIGO players must originate from a PAGCOR-approved studio located inside the Philippines, staffed by accredited dealers and supervised by an on-site PAGCOR-approved studio manager. Cross-border streaming of live tables from non-Philippine studios is not permitted for PIGO play.

PAGCOR recognises a defined panel of independent testing laboratories for the certification of gaming platforms, RNGs and game content. Currently recognised labs include GLI (Gaming Laboratories International), BMM Testlabs, eCOGRA and iTech Labs. Every gaming system, RNG and individual game made available to Philippine players must carry a current certificate from a recognised lab.

Every random number generator used to determine game outcomes for Philippine players must be certified by a PAGCOR-recognised testing lab against a defined battery of statistical tests including chi-squared, serial correlation, runs, poker and gap tests. Certification is per RNG version; re-certification is required after any source-code change, seed-mechanism change or platform port.

Slot, table and specialty games offered to Philippine players must carry a theoretical return-to-player of not less than 85 percent over the long-run, evidenced by the testing-lab math certification. Operators must publish or make available on request the certified theoretical RTP for every live game.

Before any new game is made available to Philippine players, the licensee must file a game-launch package comprising the testing-lab certificate, the game math, the paytable, the help screens, the RG configuration and a screenshot pack. PAGCOR Technical Services has 15 working days to object; absent objection the game may launch.

Material changes to the gaming platform, RNG, wallet, account or reporting subsystems must follow a documented change-control procedure including impact assessment, regression testing, lab re-certification where applicable, and PAGCOR notification before promotion to production. Emergency hotfixes may be promoted under a defer-and-document exception with PAGCOR notification within 24 hours.

Each gaming platform release in production must carry a tamper-evident build attestation matching the lab-certified hash. PAGCOR inspectors may compare the production hash to the certified hash at any time; any mismatch is treated as an uncertified deployment and grounds for immediate suspension of the affected service.

PIGO and PAGCOR e-Games platforms must maintain a documented disaster-recovery plan with a recovery-time objective of no more than four hours for player-facing wagering services and no more than 24 hours for full reporting and back-office functions. The plan must be tested at least annually with a written report lodged with PAGCOR.

Gaming transaction logs, player account events, geo-location records and surveillance feeds must be retained in tamper-evident form for not less than five years. Logs must be cryptographically signed at write time and protected against retrospective alteration; deletion or modification is prohibited within the retention period.

Every PIGO and PAGCOR-licensed online operator must implement an information security management system aligned to ISO/IEC 27001 controls, with PAGCOR-acceptable independent assurance at least annually. The ISMS must cover identity and access management, cryptography, network security, secure development and incident response.

PIGO platforms must undergo full external penetration testing at least annually by an independent CREST-equivalent assessor, with targeted re-testing after any material architectural change or critical-severity finding. Reports and remediation evidence must be lodged with PAGCOR within 30 days of test completion.

Technical incidents affecting a PIGO platform are classified by severity. Tier-1 incidents (loss of wager integrity, exposure of player data, prolonged service outage) require notification to PAGCOR within two hours. Tier-2 (material degradation, security breach without confirmed data loss) within 24 hours. Tier-3 (operational anomalies) within 5 working days via the monthly incident report.

A confirmed game malfunction voids all affected plays and outcomes. Players must be restored to their pre-malfunction position; wagers must be returned and any erroneous winnings reversed. PAGCOR must be notified within 24 hours and the affected game suspended pending root-cause analysis and lab re-validation.

Live dealer content streamed to Philippine PIGO players must originate from a PAGCOR-approved studio located inside the Philippines. Studio approval covers physical security, CCTV coverage of every gaming table, dealer training and certification, table equipment certification and resilient network egress.

Live dealer studios must record every gaming table continuously with audio and video synchronised to the game-event log. Recordings must be retained for at least 90 days for routine inspection and at least five years for any table-round subject to a complaint, investigation or audit.

Each natural person may hold no more than one active PIGO account per licensee, identified by verified government ID. Operators must run device-fingerprint and identity-deduplication checks at registration and on an ongoing basis.

PIGO KYC accepts PhilSys National ID, SSS, GSIS, Philippine Passport, Driver's Licence and Unified Multi-Purpose ID, validated against authoritative data sources where available. Foreign nationals registering from inside the Philippines must present a passport plus proof of lawful presence.

Player deposit balances must be held in a dedicated bank account segregated from licensee operating funds, with a maintained reserve sufficient to satisfy all outstanding player balances at any point in time. PAGCOR may direct an independent attestation of segregation at any time.

Withdrawals must be paid only to the same funding source used for the originating deposit. Where the source is unavailable, the player must complete additional verification before an alternative payout destination is approved.

PIGO deposit and wager controls must enforce hard caps that align with the AMLC PHP 5 million covered-transaction threshold, including aggregation across cash-in events within a defined look-back window. Cumulative breaches trigger automatic STR escalation.

A PIGO player may hold only one account per licensee. Duplicate accounts identified through PhilSys ID, government ID number, device fingerprint or biometric match must be closed within 24 hours, with consolidated balance returned to the player via the verified withdrawal channel.

Before a PIGO account may place its first wager, the licensee must verify the player's identity, age (21+), Philippine residency and address using PhilSys National ID where available, or two accepted government-issued IDs in the alternative. Unverified accounts may be funded but not used for wagering, and unverified balances must be returned if verification is not completed within 30 days.

A PIGO account with no log-in or wager activity for 12 consecutive months is treated as dormant. The licensee must attempt at least three documented contacts and then return the balance to the player's verified withdrawal channel; balances of unreachable players are escheated to PAGCOR after a further 12 months in line with the dormant-funds rule.

PIGO accounts may be funded only from payment channels held in the player's own verified name: Philippine bank accounts, BSP-licensed e-money wallets, debit cards and other PAGCOR-approved methods. Cash deposits, cryptocurrency and third-party wallets are prohibited. The funding-source name must match the verified KYC name; mismatches must be rejected and reviewed.

Withdrawals from a PIGO account must be returned to the same verified channel from which funds were deposited (closed-loop), with any net winnings paid to the player's primary verified bank account or e-money wallet. Cash withdrawals and withdrawals to third-party instruments are prohibited.

Player wallet balances must be held in a segregated account at a BSP-licensed bank, distinct from the licensee's operating funds and not available to operational creditors in the event of insolvency. The segregated balance must equal or exceed aggregate player liability at end of each business day, with monthly attestation lodged with PAGCOR.

Bonus and free-bet wagering requirements on PIGO products may not exceed a multiple of the bonus amount prescribed by PAGCOR, with forfeiture rules clearly disclosed at the point of acceptance. Any unmet wagering requirement may not extinguish player deposits — only the unwagered bonus portion may be forfeited.

PIGO licensees must apply a default monthly deposit limit at account registration unless the player actively elects a different value, with the default set at a level PAGCOR may prescribe and update. Any election above the default requires explicit acknowledgement of the RG implications and is subject to the 24-hour cool-off on increases under the RG Framework.

After three continuous hours of play in a single session, the PIGO platform must enforce a mandatory break of at least 15 minutes during which the player cannot place a wager. The forced-break event must be logged and surfaced inside the player's activity history.

PIGO licensees must file monthly operational returns covering GGR, active players, deposits, withdrawals, bonus expense and complaint statistics, and an annual independently-audited financial and compliance report. Monthly returns are due by the 15th of the following month; the annual report is due within 120 days of fiscal year-end.

Integrated resort casinos in Entertainment City and Clark operate under bespoke Casino Licence Conditions issued by PAGCOR, covering investment commitments, non-gaming-to-gaming ratio, junket operator accreditation, surveillance standards and revenue-share calculation.

Specialty games include traditional Filipino games of chance and other non-casino products approved by PAGCOR on a case-by-case basis. Online sabong (e-sabong) was previously permitted under this category but was prohibited by President Duterte in 2022 and remains prohibited.

Electronic bingo halls are licensed by PAGCOR as a distinct product class, with caps on the number of terminals, mandatory shift-based supervision and an audit trail of every drawn card and prize payout. Co-location with PeGS is permitted only under a combined venue licence.

PAGCOR Electronic Gaming Sites (PeGS) are licensed remote-betting venues offering electronic table games and slots delivered from a PAGCOR-controlled central system. PeGS operate under venue-level licences with strict distance rules from schools, churches and government buildings.

Integrated resort casino licensees must operate chip issuance, redemption and cash-cage handling under documented dual-control procedures with full CCTV coverage. Every cage transaction at or above the AMLA covered-transaction threshold must be linked to a verified patron record before chips are issued or cash is paid out.

Every PAGCOR-licensed integrated resort must operate a dedicated surveillance room with continuous live monitoring of all gaming tables, slot floors, cages, count rooms, entrances and exits. Recordings must be retained for at least 30 days, extended to five years for any incident or PAGCOR-directed hold.

PAGCOR e-Games (PeGS) cafes must comply with venue siting rules including minimum distances from schools and places of worship, certified gaming terminals with tamper-evident seals, supervised access controls, age verification at entry and CCTV across the floor. Terminal software must match the lab-certified build hash at all times.

Networked e-Bingo halls must connect to a PAGCOR-approved central system that arbitrates prize-pool contributions, jackpot triggers and per-card draw outcomes. Per-card prize-pool contributions, current jackpot values and recent winners must be displayed in-hall and reconciled to the central system daily.

Cashless gaming products including patron e-wallets, ticket-in-ticket-out (TITO) and chip-cashout solutions must be certified by a PAGCOR-recognised lab, integrate with the casino management system in real time, and apply AMLA covered-transaction monitoring across the cashless flow. Anonymous prepaid instruments are prohibited.

Presidential Decree 1602 of 1978 imposes graduated criminal penalties for participation in illegal gambling, increasing for maintainers, operators and protectors of unlicensed games. Penalties scale from arresto menor to prisión correccional and substantial fines.

Republic Act 9287 of 2004 increased the penalties for illegal numbers games including jueteng, masiao and the last two, with escalating penalties for collectors, coordinators, financiers and government protectors. The Act remains the principal anti-illegal-lottery statute alongside PD 1602.

PAGCOR's administrative sanction schedule escalates from written warning through monetary fine, partial suspension of operations, full suspension of licence, and revocation. Aggravating factors include AML failures, RG breaches affecting minors or self-excluded persons, and repeat technical-control failures.

The PAGCOR Sanction Schedule sets a tiered fine ladder applied to PIGO, land-based and e-Bingo licensees. First violations of a documented compliance standard attract administrative fines from PHP 100,000 to PHP 500,000; second violations from PHP 500,000 to PHP 2 million; third and subsequent violations from PHP 2 million up to PHP 10 million plus possible suspension. RG-critical, AML and geo-fence breaches are escalated to the upper band on first offence.

Beyond monetary penalties, PAGCOR may impose graduated operational suspensions: product-class suspension (e.g. e-Casino paused while sports betting continues), site-level suspension (a specific PIGO operations centre taken offline) and full licence-wide suspension. Each tier requires written findings, a hearing opportunity and a defined remediation roadmap before reinstatement.

PAGCOR may revoke a licence on grounds including a conviction under RA 12312, RA 10175 or the AMLA; a finding of repeated material RG or geo-fence breach; a determination that the fit-and-proper test is no longer met by any UBO or key officer; or a finding of fraud in the application. Revocation triggers automatic forfeiture of the operating bond, return of player funds within 30 days, and a five-year bar on reapplication by the same controlling persons.

PAGCOR coordinates with the National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of Information and Communications Technology to issue DNS-level blocking orders against unlicensed online gambling sites accessible to Philippine residents. Operators of unlicensed sites may also face PD 1602 referral.

By presidential directive in 2022, online sabong operations were suspended and have since been treated as prohibited. Inter-agency enforcement through 2024-2025 has continued against residual platforms, social-media-only e-sabong promoters and informal cash collection rings linked to historical operators.

Section 20 of PD 1869 extends criminal liability to persons who knowingly aid, abet, finance, lease premises to, or otherwise facilitate unauthorised gambling. The provision reaches landlords, payment facilitators and marketing partners whose conduct enables an unlicensed operation regardless of whether they directly take wagers.

Section 4(b)(2) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 criminalises the unauthorised input, alteration or deletion of computer data resulting in inauthentic data with intent to cause damage or procure economic benefit. Unlicensed online gambling operations targeting Philippine residents are routinely charged under this provision as well as under RA 9287 / PD 1602, because their rigged or unlicensed back-end software falls within the fraud definition.

Section 6 of RA 10175 provides that all crimes defined and penalised under the Revised Penal Code and special laws, if committed by, through and with the use of information and communications technology, shall be punished one degree higher than provided in the underlying statute. Applied to illegal gambling (PD 1602, RA 9287, and RA 12312), the uplift raises minimum penalties and removes bail in many cases.

Section 19 of RA 10175 — as narrowed by Disini v. Secretary of Justice (2014) — preserves a judicial route to restrict access to computer data found prima facie in violation of the Act. In practice, PAGCOR, the DICT and the NTC operate a tiered blocking architecture for illegal gambling sites: PAGCOR identifies targets, DICT issues blocking advisories, and NTC directs licensed ISPs to implement DNS- and IP-level blocking within 48 hours.

The DICT and NTC joint memorandum circular operationalises Section 19 for the gambling vertical: PAGCOR submits a referral packet (URL, IP, supporting investigation file) to DICT; DICT issues a blocking advisory within five working days; NTC orders all licensed ISPs and mobile operators to implement DNS, IP and where possible SNI-level blocking within 48 hours of receipt; ISPs file a compliance report within seven days. Repeat-offender domains are added to a permanent blocklist.

The National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) handles high-complexity cybercrime investigations including illegal online gambling, offshore-gaming successor operations, large-scale fraud and trafficking-in-persons overlay cases. NBI-CCD operates the Philippines' digital forensics laboratory accredited under ISO/IEC 17025, supports international mutual legal assistance requests, and is the principal Philippine point of contact for INTERPOL's cybercrime directorate.

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) is the primary law-enforcement unit for cybercrime, including illegal online gambling, computer-related fraud and online trafficking-in-persons. PNP-ACG operates regional cybercrime field units, executes search warrants for computer data under the Cybercrime Warrants Rules (A.M. No. 17-11-03-SC), and coordinates with NBI Cybercrime Division and PAGCOR Enforcement.

In G.R. No. 203335 (11 February 2014) the Supreme Court upheld most provisions of RA 10175 against constitutional challenge, including the Section 6 penalty uplift (one degree higher for ICT-mediated offences) and the data-preservation regime. The Court struck down the unilateral DOJ take-down power in Section 19 as a prior restraint, requiring judicial authorisation for content blocking — a ruling that shapes the DICT-NTC blocking architecture applied to illegal gambling sites today.

In G.R. No. 212530 (10 August 2016) the Supreme Court held that integrated-resort casino licensees of PAGCOR — Bloomberry's Solaire was the petitioner — enjoy the same 5 percent franchise tax 'in lieu of all other taxes' treatment on gaming income as PAGCOR itself. Imposing regular corporate income tax on a licensee's gaming revenue would impair the contractual franchise rights granted under the PAGCOR Charter and RA 9487.

In G.R. No. 215427 (10 December 2014) the Supreme Court held that PAGCOR's income from its gaming operations is subject only to the 5 percent franchise tax under Section 13(2) of PD 1869, which is 'in lieu of all other taxes' on gaming income — notwithstanding the partial repeal of PAGCOR's income-tax exemption by RA 9337. Income from non-gaming related operations (leases, rentals, ancillary services) remains subject to corporate income tax.

In G.R. Nos. 252965 and 254102 (consolidated, 19 December 2022) the Supreme Court ruled on the tax status of POGO licensees and service providers prior to RA 11590, holding that POGOs were not exempt from regular income tax and VAT under the PAGCOR Charter because their operations and customers lay outside Philippine territory and so were not the gaming income contemplated by the franchise. The ruling crystallised significant pre-2021 BIR exposure for the legacy POGO industry.