PAGCOR allows e-gaming operators to offer number games

Number games will not be able to use the same drawing device, tool and equipment being implemented currently by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has allowed electronic gaming operators to offer number games such as lottery. The regulator stressed that games won’t use the same drawing device, tool and equipment used by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in its lottery draws.

According to a memorandum from the regulator, cited by Philstar, the minimum bet will be PHP5, and operators need to pay an application fee of P200,000 for a two-year gaming licence and P200,000 in cash deposit per gaming venue. PAGCOR will receive 35 per cent of the gross gaming revenue for live-streamed and random number generator (RNG)-based games from July to December 2024, decreasing to 30 per cent by January 2025.

As of June, there were 44 operators and service providers under PAGCOR’s Philippine Inland Gaming Operator (PIGO) licensing programme, which was introduced in 2020, and 40 internet gaming licensees (IGL) and 34 licensed service providers for eCasino games, sports betting, eBingo, and speciality games.