Legal and compliance
What a gaming licence actually covers
A licence is not a badge of quality and it is not valid everywhere. What it authorises, who it binds, and why one company often holds a dozen.
Philippines
A domestic licensed market overseen by a body that is both regulator and casino operator, with offshore licensing shut down.
| Product | Position | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Online casino | Licensed | Commercial operators can be licensed to offer this product to local customers. |
| Sports betting | Licensed | Commercial operators can be licensed to offer this product to local customers. |
| Online poker | Licensed | Commercial operators can be licensed to offer this product to local customers. |
| Lottery | State monopoly | Reserved to a state or state-controlled operator; no commercial licence is available. |
How the market works
The Philippine regulator occupies a position most jurisdictions avoid: it regulates gambling and operates state-owned casinos at the same time. Separating the two functions, and privatising the operating arm, has been under discussion for years.
Internationally, the Philippines was known for offshore licensing, under which operators licensed there served customers in other Asian countries. The sector drew sustained criticism over crime and labour abuse and was ordered shut down from the end of 2024, removing one of the few Asian licensing routes used by internationally facing operators.
Domestic licensed play through e-games and e-bingo platforms has grown quickly in its place, and regulatory attention has shifted to advertising, age verification and the social consequences of easy mobile access. Land-based integrated resorts remain the largest part of the regulated sector by revenue.
Who regulates it
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), based in Manila and operating under Presidential Decree 1869, as amended. The Philippine state body that both regulates gambling and operates casinos of its own.
Licence types issued
- Domestic e-games and e-bingo licence
- Integrated resort licence
- Land-based casino licence
Questions about Philippines
Background reading
Legal and compliance
How gambling is taxed, and why the base matters
A tax on stakes and a tax on gross gaming revenue can carry the same headline number and produce completely different businesses.
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The sequence from legal assessment to launch, and the parts that routinely take longer than anyone plans for.
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What grey and black markets actually mean
The industry uses three words for the legal status of a market and rarely defines them. Here is what each one means in practice.