The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has no plans to issue new licenses to online gaming operators for now.
PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco has stated that there is no need to lift the moratorium imposed by a board resolution in March 2024.
During a recent House committee on appropriations hearing, Tengco said: “For now, I want the whole industry to consolidate. So that the weak can leave and when it consolidates, we will decide if we will issue more licenses.
“As I explained, there are a lot of people who were granted licenses. We didn’t realize that some of them were just keeping the licenses idle while trying to sell them. But we are making efforts to eliminate those.”
As of now, the number of online licenses is 48, down from 74. Meanwhile, Tengco also noted that the fee rates imposed on operators' GGR will remain unchanged. These stand at 30% for e-game operators and 25% for integrated resorts.
This statement comes as the regulated sector's GGR continues to shrink. For Q2 2026, online gambling GGR reached PHP 39.85bn ($645.5m), down approximately 37% year-over-year.
Furthermore, Tengco recently warned that the regulator expects to generate nearly PHP 87bn in income this year, representing an 18% decline as the Middle East crisis and stricter gambling regulations weigh on earnings.
Tengco said the slowdown in income can be attributed to the delinking of electronic wallets from online gambling platforms.
He added that although online gambling saw an increase in early 2026, growth remained limited by the ongoing Middle East crisis. Global Gaming Insider analyzed in depth the factors behind the market contraction.
PAGCOR plans to launch a new app this year to help players identify and access licensed online operators
