Amongst a call for a total ban on online gambling in the Philippines, the nation’s gaming regulator, PAGCOR, has indicated that it will comply with any regulations signed into law by the nation’s President.
In a statement on Friday, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) noted that ‘PAGCOR is duty-bound to follow any and all relevant regulations once they are passed by Congress and signed into law by the President’.
The group further noted that ‘it is the prerogative of our lawmakers to propose laws which they think will be beneficial to the public’.
While the nation has already outlawed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), certain members of Congress have now called for an outright ban on any online gambling – including the Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs), which saw a boom during the pandemic as in-person play was limited.
The eGames sector in particular has been lauded by PAGCOR’s Chairman as driving the nation’s gaming revenues, with 1Q25 results from the electronic games and e-bingo segment making up over half of all gaming revenue.
On Friday, the nation’s former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri indicated he had filed the ‘Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025’, saying essentially that any form of online gambling is detrimental to the nation.
The proposed measure would ban online betting platforms, apps and websites allowing bet placement through digital means. It also proposes that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) block access to gambling websites or apps after receiving notice from either the Department of Justice or PAGCOR, or face fines or license revocations.
This is just the most recent in a string of bills aimed to cancelling out online gaming in the nation.
Online gaming operators, such as the highly-successful DigiPlus Interactive Corp saw sharp drops in their stock prices amongst the ongoing battle against the online sector.
In a Thursday note, the company indicated that it was aware of the filing of various bills aimed at the online sector. ‘We highlight that the bills are still in the early stages of the legislative process and has not been enacted into law’.
The company furthered that ‘DigiPlus remains fully operational and committed to delivering value to our customers and shareholders. We continue to conduct business as usual and remain confident in the long-term growth potential of the company’.
