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Who we are

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is a 100 percent government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

The Corporation was created during the Martial Law years by virtue of a Presidential Decree (PD1067-A) issued by then President Ferdinand Marcos in response to calls for the Philippine Government to put a stop to the growing proliferation of illegal casino operations in various parts of the country then. The law creating PAGCOR was later amended and consolidated under PD 1869 otherwise known as the PAGCOR Charter.

HEADLINES

Most online casinos in the Philippines will let you play all, or nearly all, of their games for free. This option is often called ‘free’ or ‘demo’ and it allows you to play risk-free. But at a lot of sites, you need to have an account first, in order to be able to play without paying. 18 November 2011 CalvinAyre.com says – The Philippines is a unique and highly valuable gaming license to hold as it’s the sole license available to companies who want to do business in the highly. A Philippines Gambling License covers all forms of online gambling including: Casino, eSports, Poker, Sports Betting, Lotto, Bingo, Horseracing, Bitcoin Casino, Fantasy Sports, Games of Skill and other gaming-related activities without being required to obtain one license for each individual product. Internet gaming licenses are available directly from Cagayan Freeport, and CEZA has the legal authority to approve online gambling applicants without prior acceptance from any national government agency. The actual country of the Philippines has a very different approach to online gaming. Residents of the Philippines can enjoy legal online casinos if they are licensed and regulated by a legitimate offshore jurisdiction. Licensed offshore online casinos can provide Filipinos with numerous legal gaming options not otherwise permitted to them domestically such as poker, sports betting, bingo, keno, scratch cards, slots, and much more.

Capiz town gets aid to build evacuation facility from PAGCOR

Sat 3.6.2021 9:00 AM

TAPAZ, CAPIZ – With its picturesque charm, no one would think that this first-class town in Western Visayas is often visited by violent weather disturbances that leave most of its residents scrambling for help without a safe and comfortable place to stay ...

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PAGCOR Chief of Staff Alberto Regino, Jr. (3rd from left) hands Tapaz Municipal Mayor Roberto Palomar (2nd from right) the mock check representing the agency’s P50 million donation for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center in Barangay Carida. Also in photo are (from left) Casino Filipino Bacolod Acting Branch Manager Jose Marciano Bautista, PAGCOR AVP for Community Relations and Services Ramon Stephen Villaflor and Tapaz Municipal Vice Mayor Ma. Fe Gardose.

HEADLINES

PAGCOR releases cash aid to hospital, two other beneficiaries

Thu 2.25.2021 07:30 PM

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) underscored once more its major role in the promotion of key health-related programs of the government by providing financial assistance to a state-run hospital on February 24, 2021 ...

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Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) Public Relations Unit Chief Juanito Montefalcon (extreme right) receives from PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo (3rd from left) the agency’s P123.6 million cash donation to the hospital for the construction of a two-storey halfway house. They are joined in the turnover ceremony by (from left) PAGCOR Directors Carmen Pedrosa and Reynaldo Concordia and PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim.

HEADLINES

‘PAGCOR Village’ to house displaced families in two Batangas towns

Tue 2.19.2021 06:30 AM

AGONCILLIO, Batangas -- While the Taal Volcano continues to show signs of possible phreatic eruption, endangering anew the families who were displaced by the volcano's eruption last year, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation ...

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PAGCOR’s Assistant Vice President for Community Relations Ramon Stephen Villaflor (left) turns over the agency’s P30 million grant to Lemery Municipal Mayor Eulalio Alilio (right) and Lemery’s Municipal Treasurer Rolando Macatangcay (middle). The amount will be used to build the PAGCOR Village in Lemery, Batangas. The project will provide 100 housing units to displaced locals who cannot afford to rebuild their houses, following the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020.

HEADLINES

PAGCOR grants funding for evacuation centers in Romblon and Zamboanga del Sur

Tue 2.12.2021 10:30 AM

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has sealed its partnership with the provincial government of Romblon and the municipality of Dinas in Zamboanga del Sur after the state-run gaming agency approved the funding for the construction ...

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PAGCOR officials (from left) Director Reynaldo Concordia, Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo and President and COO Alfredo Lim formally turn over the financial grant to Vice Mayor Matt Nian of Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center at Brgy. Legarda Uno.

HEADLINES

PAGCOR builds sturdy emergency shelters for typhoon-battered Quezon town

Tue 2.09.2021 9:30 AM

SAN ANDRES, QUEZON – Residents of this remote town that is frequently battered by strong typhoons will now have a safe and comfortable place ...

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Philippines Online Gaming License Verification

PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim (6th from left) and San Andres, Quezon Mayor Giovanne Lim pose for a photo opportunity after the latter received from the agency the mock check representing the state-run gaming firm’s P50 million donation for the construction of a Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center in Barangay Camflora. With them in photo are (from left) PAGCOR AVP for Corporate Communications Carmelita Valdez, PAGCOR AVP for Community Relations and Services Ramon Stephen Villaflor, PAGCOR Chief of Staff Albert Regino, Jr., PAGCOR VP for Corporate Social Responsibility Group Jimmy Bondoc, PAGCOR Director Reynaldo Concordia and other local officials of the town.

PAGCOR: a responsible partner of the Filipino

Tue 12.4.2018

For more than three decades, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has been one of the government’s staunch allies in nation building.

Being one of the biggest revenue generators of the government, PAGCOR remits half of its income to the National Treasury. A sizeable portion is also allocated for its mandated beneficiaries and the underprivileged sectors of society.

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PUBLIC WARNING

Mon 06.29.2020

Fraudsters are taking advantage of social media and the uncertainties brought by the COVID19 Pandemic to scam your money, steal your financial information, and use your identity for illegal purposes.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has received information that certain persons have been organizing illegal Bingo games and internet/ online gambling and using Facebook to promote such illegal activities.

The public is warned not to patronize such schemes due to the risk of being scammed, identity theft, and credit card fraud. Betting on such illegal gambling activities is also a crime.

PAGCOR is responsible for licensing and regulating persons primarily engaged in gambling and their allied businesses.

No person other than those licensed by PAGCOR and other Government agencies may operate gambling in the Philippines. It is illegal for any person other than those referred to in the preceding sentence to in any manner, directly or indirectly take part in any unauthorized gambling activities, including online, internet, or remote gambling. (PD1602 in relation to RA10175, see also EO13 s. 2017).

PAGCOR is committed to the prosecution of persons involved in such illegal activities, because of the strong link between illegal gambling and organized crime who are also engaged in credit card fraud, identity theft, money laundering, among others.

If you encounter persons who may be promoting illegal gambling on social media like Facebook or know the identities of those committing these illegal gambling activities, please contact PAGCOR through info@pagcor.ph.

PRESS STATEMENT

PAGCOR reiterates public warning against illegal online gambling

Fri 9.25.2020

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) once again strongly advises the public not to engage in any unauthorized gambling activities offered by unscrupulous individuals and groups.

PAGCOR’s public warning was made after the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) conducted a successful operation against an illegal online bingo operator recently. Said operator was just one of several illegal gambling operations, which were under surveillance and case monitoring. [full statement]

PAGCOR warns the public and Facebook against illegal gambling

Tue 6.30.2020

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) warned the public against certain persons who have been organizing illegal Bingo games and internet/ online gambling and using Facebook to promote such illegal activities.

According to the public warning, fraudsters are taking advantage of social media and the uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to scam ... [full statement]

PAGCOR remits P9.54 million to PSC despite revenue losses

Fri 6.19.2020

Nj Gaming License

DESPITE suffering a huge blow in its revenue performance due to the temporary suspension of casinos and other gaming operations in the country, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) recently remitted P9.54 million to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) ... [full statement]

WHAT WE REPORT

To enhance transparency and enforce accountability

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As of Dec. 31, 2020
(Posted: Jan. 30, 2021)

California Gaming License

BUDGET PERFORMANCE

As of Dec. 31, 2020
(Posted: Jan. 30, 2021)

ANNUAL REPORT

CY 2019
(Posted: Sep. 30, 2020)

OUR CSR PROJECTS

Are primarily anchored on its mission as a partner of the Philippine government in nation-building

How We Work

To enhance transparency and enforce accountability

Philippines Online Gaming License Registration

TRANSPARENCY SEAL

Transparency and Accountability in all government

GOVERNANCE

The framework of rules, systems, practices and processes in the corporation

PROCUREMENT

Transparency in the procurement process and in the implementation

9001:2015

Meeting customer expectations and delivering customer satisfaction

FOI

Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People's right to the information

DPA

PAGCOR is committed to comply with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012

Casino gambling in the Philippines is governed by two specific jurisdictions within the Islands: the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Cagayan Special Economic Zone.

These two gaming districts handle the licensing and regulation of the various brick and mortar casinos found throughout the nation. Along with land-based casino gambling, PAGCOR also licenses and regulates online gambling businesses.

Despite being licensed by a Filipino district, the online gambling businesses operating out of this region are not permitted to offer their services to Filipino players. They are legally allowed to offer their betting and gambling services to players outside of the Philippines Islands.

Are Online Casinos Legal In The Philippines?

It is not illegal to operate an online casino in the Philippines, however, it is illegal to offer casino gambling services to Filipino players when operating an online casino that is based within the nation’s borders. However, Filipino players still have access to legally sanctioned online casino gambling through licensed and regulated offshore casino destinations online.

If there were any doubt as to this fact, a court case from 2012 resulted in a ruling that verified that the Philippines gambling laws do not prohibit players from participating in placing bets online. This means that Filipino players can legally enjoy online casino gambling at destinations that are licensed, regulated and located outside of the Philippines.

In addition, it is perfectly legal for players to access and bet at mobile sites as long as they are operated by licensed and regulated offshore casino operators. You can learn more about the legalities in different areas in our guide to Philippines legal casino gambling by region.

Gambling Laws Explained

Presidential Decree No.1067-a (1975)
PD No. 1067-A created the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and defines legal gambling in the Philippines. The Decree also defines PAGCOR’s powers and functions and how funding will be provided to the government corporation and how revenue will be collected and used by PAGCOR. Signed into in law in 1975 by then president Ferdinand Marcos.

Presidential Decree No. 1602 (1978)
PD 1602 creates harsher penalties for illegal gambling activities. Section 1 lists activities that are usually associated with legal gambling in the Philippines: Basketball, Boxing, Slots, Poker, Soccer, Football, Volleyball, Horse racing, Pinball and about every other sport you can think of. It states that the punishment for wagering on those games without proper licensing shall be punished by prison and a fine up to 6 thousand pesos (PHP). Section 2 gives an informants reward of 20%.

Presidential Decree No. 1869 (1983)
PD 1869 is the charter of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) of how to properly regulate the gambling industry. It gives guidelines for PAGCOR to follow to authorize, license, and regulate all games of chance within the Philippines while laying out the legal framework for corporations to obtaining licenses.

Republic Act 7922 (1994)
The Republic Act 7922 established a special economic zone in the Cagayan Valley to be known as the Cagayan Economic Zone while including neighboring islands and the city of Freeport. Section 4 of the act ­­­lays out governmental principals while section 5 creates the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). The rest of the act contains legal information about CEZA compensation, supervision, auditing and legal counsels.

Republic Act 9287 (2004)
The Republic Act 9287 was written into law on April 2^nd, 2004 and was enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress. The Act increases the penalty for illegal numbers games and its implementing rules.

Executive Order No. 13 (2017)
The second section (2) of Executive Order No. 13 order clearly defines illegal gambling as any activity not authorized by an operator’s licensing authority.Transcribed to combat illegal number game operators in an effort to endorse state-run lottery services. Section 3 reinforces the policy of not allowing Filipino players access to Philippine licensed online casinos and sportsbooks. Outside players are targeted by Filipino online casinos while Philippine players are still allowed to play offshore legally sanctioned online casinos and sportsbooks.

Republic Act 10927 (2017)
Implemented by the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on November 4^th, 2017 the Republic Act 10927 entails special requirements for all Philippine-based casinos to follow. The law requires for casino owners to implement risk management policies and to keep records for their players for at least 5 years.

Casino owners are now ordered to allow compliance checks when the AMLC suspects a case of money laundering or terrorist financing. This new act also affects players. Players are now required to give more detailed information about themselves before setting up an account and no more aliases will be accepted.

The AMLC will also now be notified whenever there is a bet or a transaction of $100,000 USD or more. Failure to abide by this new act will result in stiff fines and/or penalties and could lead to a revoke of operating licenses.

House Bill 8910
HB-8910 is a proposed bill that would eliminate e-sabong nationwide if accepted into law. It specifically targets online cockfight betting and seeks to strengthen the Games and Amusement Board's oversight of all professional sports.

Where Can I Find Legally Licensed Online Casinos Accepting Filipino Players?

You could easily do a simple Google search to find a list of online casinos that welcome players from the Philippines. Please allow us to caution you from this course of action. Just because an online casino accepts Filipino players does not make it a legally sanctioned online casino or a high-quality destination that operates according to industry standards and licensing requirements.

One of the objectives for creating this resource guide was to assist players in finding the leading Filipino online casinos operating legally within the industry as well as helping players avoid questionable, predatory or low-quality destinations.

This guide provides a listing of recommended Philippines friendly online casinos. The list was comprised following an intense review process that closely examined online casinos that accept players from the Philippines. We carefully evaluated their legal standing within the industry, the existence and validity of their compliance certifications, the quality of their software solutions, services and security profile, and their reputation within the industry.

We literally review hundreds of components of each brand, effectively eliminating undesirable locations while revealing the top brands worth visiting. You can find a list of legal online casinos that accept players in the Philippines here.

Why Can’t I Participate At Online Casinos Located In the Philippines?

The gambling laws in the Philippines are quite strict when it comes to operating an online casino within the nation’s borders. While these businesses are free to offer casino gambling to players anywhere outside of the Philippines, the law clearly specifies that it is illegal for locally licensed internet gambling sites to offer their services to Filipino citizens.

Thankfully, the law does not simultaneously make it a crime for Filipino players to place bets online, hence players are free to engage in legal online casino gambling from offshore gambling sites. With the gambling industry in the Philippines currently flourishing, it is not outside the realm of possibilities that the laws may evolve to expand the online gambling opportunities within the island region, however, there have not been any moves in this direction thus far.

What Is The Minimum Gambling Age In The Philippines?

The gambling laws in the Philippines have established that gamblers must be at least 21 years of age in order to participate in casino gambling. This law is taken seriously by the Filipino government in an effort to eliminate the risks of underage gambling.

Violators will face legal consequences. While the laws in the Philippines generously allow offshore online gambling, the legal minimum gambling age still applies to this type of gambling entertainment. That means that if an online casino or poker site allows players to register at age eighteen, Filipino players must still wait until they are twenty-one years old to place bets at these sites. These restrictions established within the nation’s laws trump the policies of gambling websites.

Are There Any Other Forms Of Legal Online Gambling Available For Philippines Residents?

Yes, there is. Legally sanctioned offshore gambling sites that are available to Filipino players include legal Philippines online poker sites and legal Philippines online sports betting sites. The same rules apply to offshore poker sites and sportsbooks, so as long as the gambling sites are not operated within the Philippines, then there is nothing illegal about enjoying real money gambling at these destinations.