The Philippine gaming industry recorded substantial growth in the first half of 2025, with gross gaming revenues reaching PHP214.75 billion ($3.76 billion), a 26 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Electronic games emerged as the dominant revenue driver, generating PHP114.83 billion ($2.01 billion) and capturing 53.47 percent of total gross gaming revenue. This sector encompasses e-games, e-bingo, and bingo grantees, marking a significant shift in the industry’s revenue composition.
The electronic games sector’s dominance reflects a broader trend that began in the first quarter of 2025, when PAGCOR first reported that electronic games had overtaken other segments in Philippines gaming revenue. This development has positioned the Philippines among countries with the highest contribution of electronic games gross gaming revenue to national GDP globally, reaching 0.68 percent in the first quarter of 2025, according to investment bank Maybank’s latest report.
Licensed casinos, including integrated resorts and brick-and-mortar establishments in Metro Manila, Clark, Cebu, La Union and Rizal, remained a substantial contributor with PHP93.36 billion ($1.63 billion), accounting for 43.47 percent of industry revenues. PAGCOR-operated casinos added PHP6.56 billion ($115 million), representing 3.06 percent of overall industry performance.
Despite the robust earnings from online gaming, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco emphasized the importance of regulatory balance as the industry evolves.
“PAGCOR recognizes the earning potential of the e-games sector, but as the country’s gaming regulator, our foremost responsibility is to ensure that growth comes with accountability,” Tengco stated.
The gaming authority has recently implemented measures to strengthen oversight, including signing a memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council to monitor gambling-related advertisements and ordering the removal of all gambling advertisements from public spaces and primetime television by August 15th.
PAGCOR reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining reforms that promote transparency, industry compliance, and inclusive national development as the sector continues its growth trajectory.
