VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) will soon launch an application that will enable online gaming players to use only licensed and regulated platforms, the agency told the House of Representatives on Monday, August 24.

Speaking to members of the House Committee on Appropriations during the agency’s budget hearing, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the planned app, to be launch before the end of the year, aims to strengthen player protection amid the proliferation of illegal online gaming platforms.

The PAGCOR chief said the application will make it easier for players to play exclusively in authorized gaming sites that are subject to regulatory requirements and safeguards.

“The PAGCOR app has two main objectives: First, to curb illegal online gambling and second, to protect players by ensuring that they play only on platforms licensed and regulated by PAGCOR,” Mr. Tengco said.

Playing through a licensed operator, according to Mr. Tengco, provides players with a mechanism to seek redress when disputes arise.

“Basta’t may lisensya ang pinaglalaruan ninyo, mayroong process of resolution kung magkakaproblema kayo,” he said.

The initiative comes as PAGCOR, in partnership with other government agencies, continues its efforts to curb illegal online gaming and to encourage players to shift to regulated platforms.

“Around 50 percent of online gaming sites accessed in the Philippines are illegal, and keeping players within the regulated sector has been an ongoing challenge for PAGCOR and our law enforcement partners,” Mr. Tengco said.

“For those who patronize online gaming, we encourage them to use the PAGCOR App.

The easier it is for them to identify where they can legally play, the better we can protect them from illegal operators and the risks that come with unregulated gaming,” he said.

The new app builds on PAGCOR’s efforts to help the public distinguish authorized gaming platforms from illegal ones. In 2025, it launched the PAGCOR Guarantee page (https://www.pagcorguarantee.ph/), an online verification facility that allows the public to check whether an online gaming provider is licensed or not.