PAGCOR approved a PHP50m grant to the Bureau of Immigration to cover deportation costs for foreign workers employed by illegal offshore gaming operators in the Philippines. The funding will be released in two PHP25m instalments, with the first paid at the agreement signing on 30 June.
The grant funds deportations connected to enforcement of the Philippines’ ban on offshore gaming operations.
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PAGCOR aims to launch a mobile application by December 2026 that will let players check which online gaming platforms are authorised in the Philippines, the regulator said. Its board approved development and implementation on 8 October, alongside a proposed partnership with Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center, Inc. (DCI), which would build, host and maintain the platform at no cost to PAGCOR.
PAGCOR plans to launch a mobile application by December 2026 that will let players check which online gaming platforms are authorised in the Philippines, the regulator said. The board of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation approved the development and implementation of the application on 8 October, together with a proposed partnership with Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center, Inc. (DCI).
PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations was expected to submit a recommendation on separating PAGCOR’s regulatory and casino-operating functions in August. Tengco said the Office of the President would study the proposal, with an executive order expected by the end of the year; PAGCOR also expects gaming activity to improve in the second half of 2026.
PAGCOR remitted PHP5.67 billion in dividends to the Philippine government for fiscal year 2025, the agency said. The payment represented 50% of its 2025 income and ranked fifth among contributions from 50 government-owned and controlled corporations.
PAGCOR chairman and chief executive Alejandro H. Tengco outlined the Philippines’ online gambling reforms at ICE Barcelona 2026. Measures include tighter identity checks, responsible-gambling tools, advertising controls and payment restrictions; PAGCOR also said it had completed the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations by the end of 2024 and was separating its regulatory and commercial functions.
The Philippine government said it would assess allegations of a conflict of interest involving PAGCOR chairman and chief executive Alejandro H. Tengco based on evidence about procurement procedures and any direct links to contract awards. Palace press officer Claire Castro said no formal anomalies had been documented; Tengco denies involvement and says he divested his interests in Nationstar Development Corp. in 2022.