Light & Wonder has set its sights on the Philippines’ iGaming market despite the uncertainty hanging over the market’s regulatory framework.
The supplier revealed its roadmap for the country at the Philippine iGaming Symposium in Manila on Monday (8 September), becoming the first international accredited systems aggregator and game content provider licensed by PAGCOR, the country’s regulator.
Magdalena Podhorska-Okolow, Light & Wonder’s VP Commercial – MD Europe, iGaming, told attendees that the company has a “long-term strategy” for its investment in the Philippines market.
She outlined: “We have teams on the ground and we’re investing in iGaming teams here as well. We are already actively working on integrations today as we speak with online operators.”
Once launched, this will mark the first regulated market in Asia where Light & Wonder’s iGaming products have gone live.
In total, 50 game titles have been submitted by Light & Wonder for the Philippines’ market, and Podhorska-Okolow emphasised that the company “won’t be reinventing the wheel”.
“We already have a lot of great customers today in the land-based side and through these relationships, we know what’s working in the market today,” she added.
“We know which game families are working, we know which games the Filipino players have learned to love over the years, and these are the games and the IP that we’ll be bringing digital versions of.
“From there, it will be very much working together in terms of what we can learn and how we can continue to modify our product to be as relevant as possible for this market.”
Economic potential
Set against this investment, however, is a growing level of discontent for iGaming among Philippine politicians.
Last month, an inquiry began to consider the future of the Philippines’ online gaming sector, including the prospect of a total ban.
However, PAGCOR’s Chair, Alejandro Tengco, has warned the government that a total ban “will only drive players to illegal operators and result in loss of revenues and jobs”.
According to PAGCOR, Electronic Games generated Php 114.83bn (£1.5bn) in gross gaming revenue during the first half of 2025.
As a result, Tengco said, online gaming has contributed Php 27.4bn to ‘nation-building’, including Php 14.72bn for the Universal Health Care Law.
“Every peso we collect from the gaming sector translates to meaningful projects such as classrooms for our children, health programs for our people, and safe spaces for communities in times of calamity. This is how we ensure that gaming directly benefits Filipinos,” he explained.
Regulation not prohibition
Speaking at Light & Wonder’s symposium, Tengco urged for stricter regulations rather than an outright ban.
He also highlighted the work already being done by PAGCOR to tighten regulations.
The governing body has mandated the removal of all out-of-home gambling advertisements and also inked a memorandum of understanding with the Ads Standards Council, under which gambling ads across all platforms will be required to be approved before being aired.
PAGCOR has also strengthened its commitment to tackling the issue of illegal gaming sites targeting Filipinos, revealing that it is working on a new AI tool that can rapidly detect illegal sites.
“These illegal sites not only deprive the government of much-needed revenues but also expose Filipino players to numerous risks,” warned Tengco. “PAGCOR is committed to strengthening regulation and enforcement to ensure that only legitimate and properly monitored operators are allowed to operate.”
iGaming Expert Analysis: While the Philippines’ iGaming market remains at a tense crossroads, Light & Wonder’s decision to bring its content to the market represents a significant vote of confidence for PAGCOR and industry stakeholders.
PAGCOR’s reported revenue figures also highlight the economic potential of the sector. Losing this source of income would hinder the development of an economy that grew by over 5% in 2024 off the back of greater public consumption and investment in infrastructure.
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