The lead gambling regulator at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is determined to turn the tables on his predecessors. The gaming authority's chairperson, Alejandro Tengco, is pro the expansion of the Philippines’ online gambling sector, which he believes will be a valuable revenue generation tool to support the strategies of the Marcos-led government.

 The Philippines is Now Pro-Gambling

The previous president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, and his head of PAGCOR, Andrea Domingo, were both staunchly anti-gambling, which caused them to stifle the expansion of the sector. All the recent advancements in global online gambling regulation and its potential to support local community initiatives fell on deaf ears.

Only under President Ferdinand Marcos was gambling licensed in the country, and PAGCOR was allowed to license local casinos and regulate Filipino gambling. Marcos went so far as to say the following during a televised new cast:

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“We decide to benefit the interest of my country. I decide that we need it.”

No laws in the Philippines make it illegal for citizens to gamble online. However, locally licensed gambling companies may not offer Filipino consumers Online Slots and other casino games.

 Tengco Wants New Growth Partnerships

Speaking at the ASEAN Gaming Summit in Manila, Alejandro Tengco said:

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“We want to be a partner to address the needs of operators and give the gaming industry help to take Philippine gaming to greater heights to increase our commitment to nation-building. I ask you to join in this endeavour.”

In an ideal world, PAGCOR will be empowered to offer licenses to international operators, as we have seen in the UK, Sweden, and other leading regulated markets. This ruling will ensure local job creation, an expansion of digital media sales, increased above-the-line advertising, and licensing and wagering fees.

 Online Gambling Benefits from POGO Blacklisting

Late last year, China began to shut down offshore gambling sites and operators illegally targeting Chinese citizens. Campaigns to suppress these gaming sites focused heavily on the large swathe of Filipino operations known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). They represented such a large portion of the region’s unregulated gambling that Beijing placed the Philippines on a blacklist, limiting Filipino access to the Chinese mainland.

Tengco recognises that these operations are well equipped to handle online gambling promotion and sees the cessation of the POGOs as the ideal opportunity to grow the Filipino online casino and sports betting industry.

The new sector, PIGOs (Philippine Inland Gaming Operators), focuses on licensed online gambling operations within the country's borders. It is yet to extend these operations a license to target local online players.

However, Tengco saying that “online gaming can strive to increase funding for Marcos government” has raised hopes that a local multi-license gambling act is in the works.