Pagcor bucks total ban, warns of billions lost

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has voiced strong opposition to a proposed total ban on online gambling, warning that outlawing the entire industry would cost the government hundreds of billions of pesos in lost revenue.

Pagcor chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco issued the warning amid growing support in Congress for a bill filed by Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano that seeks an outright prohibition on all forms of internet gambling — including digital casinos, e-sabong (cockfighting), and the already-banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Valeriano said Tuesday he was confident of rallying majority support in the House for the bill, setting the stage for its early transmission to the Senate, where a similar measure has been filed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Tengco, however, argued that eradicating online gambling was not only difficult but potentially self-defeating.

With current technology, he said, authorities are only able to monitor 45 to 50 percent of online gaming activity. The rest operate in a digital grey zone, much of it run by offshore syndicates targeting Filipino players.

“It’s not the entire industry that causes chaos but the proliferation of illegal operators,” Tengco said. “This can be addressed with stricter regulation.”

Tengco warned that a total ban would drive gambling deeper underground and rob the government of much-needed revenue.

In 2024 alone, Pagcor generated P50 billion from license fees paid by operators, on top of payments to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. He said one major gaming firm alone accounted for P30 to P40 billion.