The gambling industry in the Philippines has a certain scale in Asia. It has legal casinos, mainly concentrated in specific areas. Online gambling is also quite active, attracting some international players. However, online gambling has also bred illegal operations. While regulating legal gambling,
Henry Aguda, the Minister of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in the Philippines, recently revealed that the authorities are considering whether to ban the communication platform Telegram. The reason is that intelligence shows that some illegal gambling operators ha
The sale plan of the Philippines integrated resort "City of Dreams Manila" has been officially shelved. Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco Entertainment, revealed in the latest financial report meeting that the company has completed a strategic assessment and decided to continue holding 50% of t
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is brewing a "regulatory combination punch" for online gambling, covering the entire chain from player identity verification, advertising placement restrictions to problem gambling intervention. The most attention-grabbing aspect is that the a
Electronic cockfighting has been explicitly banned in the Philippines for nearly four years, but a senator recently revealed that platforms in Central Luzon are still secretly operating. Faced with questions about whether law enforcement has been lax, the Philippine National Police (PNP) recently br
The Philippine gaming regulatory body PAGCOR recently admitted that the total gaming revenue in 2025 is likely to be roughly the same as last year, "the main reason being the slow recovery of tourist numbers". Chairman Tengke revealed during a Senate hearing break that the total industry gaming reve
The Philippine gaming regulatory body Pagcor has recently been caught in a public opinion whirlwind triggered by data. At the Senate hearing, the Pagcor chairman clarified that the actual number of active adult users of online gambling in the country is about 10 million, which is a significant discr
Facing ongoing pressure from the Senate, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) announced a series of tougher regulatory measures against online gambling. These measures target the core pain points of the industry, including possibly extending the gambling advertising ban from prim
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) is set to resume a decades-long legal obligation: to remit 5% of its total revenue to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to support the development of national amateur sports. This decision stems from the Philippine Supreme Court's final r
Philippines' leading digital entertainment provider DigiPlus Interactive Corp recently announced that it is fully upgrading its customer service and responsible gaming systems. This initiative aims to provide a smoother, safer entertainment experience for players on platforms such as BingoPlus, Aren
As of early 2026, the Philippines has announced that there are no longer any legal offshore gaming operators (POGO) within its territory. However, this is not the end of the risks, but the beginning of a more complex and dangerous phase. Although the original large parks have disappeared, related ac
The Philippine gaming regulatory body PAGCOR is strictly enforcing a new certification framework for B2B (business-to-business) suppliers, and time is running out for the market. According to the new regulations, all suppliers providing services to licensed online operators in the Philippines must c
Philippine-listed gaming technology service provider PhilWeb has recently moved swiftly, announcing that its new online platform HANN Online, launched in collaboration with land-based casino operator HANN Casino, has officially commenced operations. From conception to launch, it took only about two
Recently in the Philippines, a regulatory action by DITO Telecom has sparked heated discussions: when intercepting access to cryptocurrency exchanges, the page does not simply show "access denied." Instead, it displays a red warning banner and a gambling risk explanation, and lists a series of PAGCO
The Philippines recently exhibited a stark contrast in the gambling sector with a policy of "one ban, one promotion": The Baguio City Council, in its commitment to maintaining a "city with character," rejected RCC Global's application to open an electronic bingo (E-Bingo) business, while the Manila-
Recently in the Philippines, the dynamics of gambling and entertainment are intertwined. The online entertainment platform Casino Plus held the "Angpao Rain Gala" grand award ceremony in Manila, distributing a total cash reward of 180 million pesos to 600 video creators, setting a local record for s
The Governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines, Eli Remolona, issued a warning on Monday that the country is at risk of being placed back on the grey list as the next round of assessments by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approaches in 2027. The Philippines had successfully exited this
