Wazzup Pilipinas!
How do gambling activities work in the Philippines?
PAGCOR or Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation is a government organization that governs the casino industry in the Philippines. It is 100% owned by the government and founded in the year 1976. This gaming commission is controlled under the Office of President of Republic of the Philippines. The funds generated by PAGCOR are used on several socio-civic and other infrastructure projects within the country.
Under the charter, PAGCOR has three important mandates and the same are listed below:
Regulation, operation, authorisation and licensing of games (particularly casino related) in the country.
Generation of revenue for the government-related program like socio-civic and infrastructural projects.
Help and promotion of Philippines Tourism Industry.
The gaming commission, PAGCOR, regulates and monitors 13 land-based casinos within the country. All these casinos are situated in popular destinations like:
VISAYAS and MINDANAO: Filipino Mactan, Filipino Iloilo, Filipino Davao, Filipino Cebu, Filipino Bacolod
LUZON: Filipino Tagaytay, Filipino Olongapo, Filipino Mimosa, Filipino Ilocos Norte, Filipino Angeles
METRO MANILA: Filipino Pavilion, Filipino Malate, Filipino Midas
It is important to note that in the year 2008, the government decided to open the gambling market for international bidders.
This essentially deprived PAGCOR of a monopoly situation in the running of land-based casinos. As a result, Philippines began competing head on head with the best gambling companies across countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Australia and Las Vegas.
At this moment, there are 18 privately owned casinos operating in the country and most of them are located in Metropolitan Manila. Clark Airport, which is a part of Angeles City, it hosts famous casinos such as the Midori, Widus Resort, Royce and Fontana Resort and many others. Casinos operating outside Manila account for 327 gaming tables. PAGCOR operated casinos offer 565 gaming tables.
Benefits of Online Gambling License in the Philippines
There are several reasons to obtain a gaming license from the Philippines Gambling Commission and some of the important ones are enumerated below:
A gaming license would allow the casino operator to operate their business in the permitted countries.
Licenses can go a long way in protecting the business to which it is attributed.
The reputation of the casino will be drastically improved as a casino without any license is often looked upon as a rogue and illegal one.
Online casinos will have the opportunity to grow and develop.
The money generated from the tax levied at online casinos can be utilised for the economic growth of the Philippines.
Different Types of License Offered by Philippines Gambling Commission
PAGCOR offers a fewer number of licenses to the operators and the same are listed below:
Offshore Gaming License
Offshore Gaming Agent Accreditation
Gaming Software/Platform Provider Registration
Gaming Support Provider Registration
Data Streaming/Content Provider
BPO
PAGCOR is a reputable gambling commission that is trying their best to help grow the country’s economy. Online casino businesses looking forward to expanding their activity in this country should be licensed and regulated by PAGCOR. The Gambling commission plays a significant role in the regulation of any online casino in the Philippines. With a proper license, the casino is able to gain a better reputation and demonstrates that it complies with strict industry standards. The license also helps in making the casino games fair and random without the involvement of foul play.
POGO or Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators is an independent organization that provides different online gaming services to players outside this country. POGO should be licensed and registered by PAGCOR. It is important to note that online casino gaming is restricted for players residing in the Philippines. Hence, websites belonging to Offshore gaming operators is completely forbidden to operate in the country. In recent times, registered POGOs have grown rapidly through the targeting of Chinese players. POGOs were first licensed in 2016 and as of June 2019, there are 56 licensed POGOs with approximately 100,000+ Chinese staff members in Manila.
POGO caters for the needs of registered players outside Philippines which have grown rapidly over the years. Some of the most popular online gaming sites include Winner Casino and Betway Casino. Both of them are extremely popular amongst players and are known for their huge selection of slot titles and live dealer action. The Philippines are slowly rising as one of the places to be in the iGaming industry and are trying to establish as one of the top gaming hubs of South East Asia.