Online gambling meets new taxes

Licensed operators in the Philippines are set to experience a change in the online casino tax responsibilities.

Philippines.- Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) licensees are set to continue their US$10.000 monthly payments for each live table they feature, but under a new scheme, RNG (random number generated) will face a 2 percent increase of their monthly GGR (gross gaming revenue).

Those who hold POGO licenses are now required to declare their GGR from random number generated games on the first day of every month, and as announced by PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), this new measure is set to take effect on June 1. The gaming corporation said that this new method is aiming at boosting the share of revenue generated by local online operators that the government gets each month. Moreover, POGO has the intention to control part of the regulatory revenue share that the country experiences.

Earlier this month, PAGCOR announced its plan to introduce a new type of online gambling license that will include operators that offer sports betting in markets regulated by foreign bodies. It will collect 1.5 percent of future license holders’ monthly gross gaming revenue (GGR), in addition to all the regular fees that apply to current POGO licensees.