Philippines PAGCOR Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
It is the Philippines' state-owned gambling company and regulator. In 2025, the Philippine gambling market hit a record 396.1 billion pesos, and online games overtook casino revenue for the first time. The offshore-facing online business (POGO) was banned outright at the end of 2024.
| English | Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation |
|---|---|
| Classification | Licenses & Regulation |
| Organization | Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) |
| Launch | 1977 |
| Location | Manila, Philippines |
| 역할 | Regulator + direct operator of casinos (Casino Filipino) |
| 2025년 시장 매출 | 396.14 billion pesos (about $6.6 billion, up 6.4%) |
| 2025년 온라인 매출 | 201.12 billion pesos (50.8% of total, up about 30%) |
| 2025년 카지노 매출 | 182.5 billion pesos (down 9.6%) |
| POGO | Started in 2016, ended December 31, 2024 |
| 금지법 | Republic Act 12312 (October 2025) |
Overview
PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) is the Philippines’ state-owned gambling agency. It was created in 1977 and is based in Manila. Unusually, it is both a company that operates casinos directly and a regulator that oversees private casinos and online games. Its own casino brand is “Casino Filipino.”
The large resort casinos in Manila’s Entertainment City also operate under PAGCOR licenses. The Philippines is considered one of Asia’s top casino tourism destinations, second only to Macau.
History
2025 market: online overtakes casinos
In 2025, Philippine gambling market revenue (player losses) hit a record PHP 396.14 billion (about $6.6 billion).
| Segment (2025) | Revenue | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| e-Games and online games | PHP 201.12 billion (50.8%) | About +30% |
| Licensed casinos | PHP 182.5 billion | -9.6% |
| Casino Filipino (PAGCOR-run) | – | About -21% |
PAGCOR’s chairman said that “e-games and online games have overtaken licensed casinos as the largest source of revenue.” Online slots aimed at domestic Philippine players drove the growth. However, in the third quarter of 2025, the online market briefly stalled as payment rules tightened, including e-wallet disconnections.
The rise and ban of POGO
PAGCOR began issuing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) licenses in 2016. These businesses kept servers and staff in the Philippines and offered online casinos to overseas players, mainly from China. The number grew to about 300 in 2019, but tighter regulation cut it to about 75 by the end of 2023.
A 2024 Philippine Senate investigation revealed that POGOs were linked to crimes such as illegal detention, human trafficking, fake citizenship, and money laundering. President Marcos announced a total POGO ban in his State of the Nation Address on July 22, 2024, and all POGO licenses were revoked on December 31 of that year. On October 23, 2025, the ban was enacted into law through Republic Act 12312.
Domestic online gaming in the Philippines
Separate from the POGO ban, only operators licensed by PAGCOR can offer online games to domestic players in the Philippines. As this market grew sharply in 2025, more slot providers targeting the Asian market have been getting licenses to supply games in the Philippines. Providers strong in Asian-style games, such as CQ9, Habanero, and PG Soft, are typical examples.
Dual-role controversy
The structure in which PAGCOR operates casinos itself while regulating competing casinos has long been criticized as a conflict of interest. That is why there is ongoing discussion about privatizing PAGCOR’s casino operations and leaving it with only the regulatory function. This is a point of comparison with supervisory-only bodies like the Korea NGCC.
Location
PAGCOR is based in Manila, in the Philippines' capital region.