The status of online gaming in the Philippines is once again under the microscope as PAGCOR vowed greater regulation in the face of prohibition calls.
The regulator’s Chair and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, unveiled plans to explore a complete ban on gambling advertising, after already implementing a TV and radio ad blackout during ‘primetime’ – between 5.30pm and 8.30pm.
“Radio and TV stations are asking if they can still show the ads during dead slots, mainly for advertising revenue. But for us, if it’s possible to completely ban them, that’s what we want to enforce,” said Tengco.
PAGCOR, alongside a number of other government agencies, faced questioning from anti-gambling campaigners, including Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator Erwin Tulfo.
Gatchalian has proposed several measures to further regulate the sector, including a minimum betting age of 21 and a minimum deposit requirement of P1,000 (£12.79).
Not present at the meeting of the Committee on Games and Amusement was Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who in July filed the ‘Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025’, which seeks to implement an outright ban on online gambling.
During the two-hour-long hearing, PAGCOR emphasised the measures it has already implemented to safeguard the regulated sector, including greater KYC requirements, the removal of gambling-related billboards and the introduction of an online self-exclusion system.
Tengco also revealed the extent of the regulated industry, confirming to senators that approximately 10 million active players are using 32 million registered accounts.
Senators also placed a particular emphasis on the continued popularity of e-sabong – also known as cockfighting – in the Philippines, lambasting enforcement agencies for failing to take down the sector.
“You’ve managed to take down some e-sabong sites, but those were small-time operators. You still can’t take down the biggest one in the entire Philippines,” said Tulfo, addressing the heads of the country’s intelligence authorities.
He urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to raid the locations where e-sabong is taking place, stop live filming operations and confiscate equipment.
Research released by the Fourth Wall in August underlined the concerns surrounding the continued offering of e-sabong, as the firm’s Research Director, John Brylle L. Bae, said that the offering remains “easily accessible on unregulated platforms, underscoring persistent enforcement challenges”.
PAGCOR has committed to fighting the black market and hailed the use of AI-powered tools to identify and target illegal platforms.
Opponents of the proposed prohibition measures have warned that shutting down the regulated sector will simply push players towards the black market, where player protection measures are not mandatory.
“Illegal gambling operators undermine our laws, exploit our people, and put our communities at risk,” Tengco said previously.
“These unauthorised platforms do not follow responsible gaming standards, do not pay taxes, and put players at risk of data theft and fraud.”
Though no decision has been made on proposals to shut down the online gaming sector, the efforts of PAGCOR to modernise its regulatory framework and player protection measures may go some way to convincing lawmakers of the benefits of fostering a strong regulated sector.
