P50B license fees collected from 70 legal online gambling platforms in 2024 –PAGCOR

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation was able to gather P50 billion in license fees from up to 70 legal online gambling platforms in 2024.

In a Balitanghali interview on Tuesday, PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said that 50% of the fees were immediately remitted to the National Treasury.

The remainder of the fees were used to subsidize other agencies such as PhilHealth, the Philippine Sports Commission, and the Dangerous Drugs Board.

“Ang na-contribute po ng online gaming alone sa PhilHealth ay mayroon pong kulang P6.5 billion. So kung ating titignan, sa 30,000 average, can you imagine ilang milyon 'yung ating natulungan sa pamamagitan ng online gaming sa pasyente ng PhilHealth?” said Tengco.

(Online gaming alone has contributed almost P6.5 billion to PhilHealth. If you can see, out of the 30,000 average, can you imagine how many million more PhilHealth patients can we help through online gaming?)

Tengco said there were hundreds of illegal online gambling platforms operating from outside the country and targeting Filipinos, which was destroying the online gaming industry.

“Ang masakit nito, they are operating from outside the Philippines. Ang tinatarget nila ay mga Filipino customers… Ang masakit po, 'yan ang mga kumpanyang di nakapagreregulate nang tama,” he said.

(What is painful here is that they are are operating from outside the Philippines. They are targeting Filipino customers… What hurts is that these companies are the ones who are unable to regulate properly.)

“Sa PAGCOR, pagka ikaw ay may license, dapat dumaan ka sa isang masusing pagtetest ng iyong mga games para nang sa ganoon ay makitang patas ang palaro. Ikaw ay kailangan magbayad sa nanalo, at ikaw ay dapat magbalik ng deposito ng player mo anong oras man hingin ito ng player sa'yo,” he added.

(Under PAGCOR, if you have a license, you must undergo a strict testing of your games to show that you are playing fair. You need to pay the winners, and you need to return the player’s deposits whenever the player asks it from you.)

There are currently proposals from lawmakers to enforce restrictions or a total ban on online gambling platforms.

Proposed regulations include restrictions and further policies on age verification protocols, advertising, and player protection, among others.

“Online gambling is accessible anytime, anywhere and often anonymously, making it particularly addictive and harmful to minors, persons who may be vulnerable to the lure of gaining easy money, and those desperate to make ends meet. Online gambling thus poses unique and costly risks, not only for those who gamble but also their families, communities, and Philippine society,” Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla said on the exploratory note of House Bill 1351 or the Kontra e-Sugal Act. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News