PAGCOR targets December launch for app verifying licensed gambling sites

PAGCOR is aiming to launch a mobile app in December that would let the public check whether an online gaming operator holds a Philippine licence, the regulator said. The December target was disclosed on Monday, after PAGCOR had previously announced a fourth-quarter launch at September's IAG EXPO in Manila. Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the platform would give a reliable way to confirm an operator's licence status, with the aim of helping the public make informed choices and reducing the risk of dealing with illegal operators.

“He said the aim was to help the public make informed choices and reduce the risk of dealing with illegal operators.”

On 8 October, PAGCOR's Board of Directors gave the go-ahead for the app to be developed and implemented. That approval took in a proposed tie-up with Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center, Inc. (DCI), which would be bound by the laws and rules in force. DCI's role under the proposal would span building, running and maintaining the platform, plus hosting and technical support, all at no charge to PAGCOR. PAGCOR will first evaluate the proposed platform, and only then decide whether to accept it for full-scale implementation.

DCI has to submit a proof of concept covering the app's minimum viable product ahead of any full rollout, and Monday's release said PAGCOR will review that submission for evaluation and acceptance. Over six months, the assessment will weigh the proposed features, system architecture, security mechanisms and feasibility. PAGCOR said it may end the arrangement should DCI fail to fix, within a reasonable time, deficiencies found during the evaluation period, and the proposed partnership carries a mechanism for responding to shortcomings found during the assessment.

Under the partnership, all relevant rules on data privacy, cybersecurity and information security must be followed, the Data Privacy Act of 2012 among them. Data-sharing and information security will be written into the conditions or set out in a separate data-sharing agreement, and security controls will be examined during the evaluation. PAGCOR will additionally work with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Telecommunications Commission and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center, a step meant to strengthen action against illegal online gambling websites.

The app comes after the Philippine central bank issued an order last year that told e-wallet providers to take down links pointing to online gambling platforms, a step meant to improve player protection. Critics of that delinking order say it cuts users' visibility of licensed sites and could backfire, since players may lose the means to tell regulated platforms apart from illegal ones. PAGCOR's proposed app tackles that identification problem by offering the public a dedicated tool for verifying licensed online gaming platforms.