Philippine Gambling Regulators Claim Success For New Gambling Regulation

Gambling regulators in the Philippines are claiming success for regulating the online gambling industry after casino revenue spiked in 2018.

The Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) recently released a statement confirming that offshore gaming providers have substantially increased revenue figures in the two years since the Filipino market opened up to offshore gaming operators.

In 2016, gambling revenue produced PHP657 million for the Philippines. In 2017, gambling revenue spiked up to PHP3.924 million, and in 2018, gambling revenue reached PHP7.365 billion.

PAGCOR officials are accrediting the spike in revenue to strategic moves performed by the Philippine gambling regulators. Regulators also accredit the success to other cooperating government agencies that have helped implement the new regulations.

In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte pressured various government agencies to work together to fight illegal online gambling when he issued his executive order number 13. The executive order put direct orders on several government agencies to combat illegal online gambling. It also laid out what actions were to be performed by which agencies.

The statement released by PAGCOR praised cooperating agencies for their continued support. This report comes during a time when the vice-mayor of Quezon City is disputing a new casino build. PAGCOR says the vice-mayor is overstepping her boundaries and trying to pass local legislation that would undermine PAGCOR’s governance of the gambling industry.

The issue started when Solaire Resort and Casino broke ground on a new Quezon City location. The domestic casino project was approved by PAGCOR and developers were allowed to start preparing the area. Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is currently leading an effort to pass local legislation restricting Quezon City residents from accessing the new mega-casino.

Regardless of what happens with the Quezon City Solaire casino, Philippine residents are currently allowed to access offshore online gambling sites that services all the islands. Our guide to Philippine legal online casinos offers up the best online bonuses, games, and tournaments found online. Online gambling is currently booming in the Philippines for both regulators and seasoned players.