PAGCOR president opposes call for ban on online gambling
Tengco warned that a ban could result in the country losing billions in revenue.
The Philippines.- Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has said he does not agree with a call to ban online gambling in the country. In an interview with DZMM, Tengco warned that a ban could result in the country losing hundreds of billions in revenue.
“The current government is earning PHP100bn (US$1.8bn) directly and indirectly,” he said, noting that PHP50bn is generated annually in licence fees alone.
He said the agency does welcome “stricter regulation.” Tengco said the biggest issue the industry was facing was not licensed operators but illegal offshore operators: “Right now, we can only capture about 45 per cent to 50 per cent of the entire online gaming sphere or the industry because there are so many illegal operators that are still operating,” he said: “The proliferation of online illegal operators unfortunately, does not come from our country but from other countries that target Filipino customers.”
Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri’s Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 seeks to ban online gambling in all forms, including mobile applications and websites. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a separate bill proposing tighter restrictions without a full ban. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is pushing for e-wallet providers to prevent their platforms from facilitating transactions linked to online gambling.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is reportedly open to proposals for tighter regulations and taxation of digital gaming. The Department of Finance (DOF) is currently exploring measures to impose new taxes on online gaming platforms. One bill proposes a 10 per cent tax on operators to fund addiction treatment and recovery programs.
