Pogo ban cuts Pagcor’s revenues by P3B
The Marcos administration’s ban on offshore gaming operators slashed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s (Pagcor) revenues in 2025 by nearly P3 billion.
Latest data from Pagcor showed that revenues from gaming operations fell to P95.15 billion in 2025. This was a decrease of 2.4 percent from P97.53 billion the previous year.
The very lucrative segment slid after President Marcos signed into law a permanent ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in October 2025. The President cited social costs and threats to national security as reasons for the prohibition.
The offshore gaming ban, combined with softening earnings from land-based casinos, pushed Pagcor’s total revenues down 5.09 percent to P106.03 billion.
“The decline in revenues from land-based casinos is largely driven by the gradual change in player behavior, with more customers opting for digital and online gaming platforms,” Pagcor chair and CEO Alejandro Tengco said.
“This shift underscores the need for regulators to keep pace with how players engage with online gaming products,” Tengco added.
Other revenue streams, which include interest earnings, income and service fees, contributed P10.88 billion.
Meanwhile, Pagcor-operated casinos saw earnings plunge 18.12 percent to P10.38 billion. Earnings from licensed casinos fell 4.93 percent to P31.44 billion.
Cushioning the drop in revenues was a boom in Pagcor’s digital and electronic platforms.
Out of total gaming revenues, P53.33 billion came from electronic and online gaming activities. These include eGames, eBingo and bingo grantees.
“As digital gaming continues to grow, Pagcor has implemented significant regulatory upgrades to protect players, promote transparency and ensure that online gaming operates within a secure and well-regulated environment,” Tengco said.
Earlier, he said there were ongoing reforms to shift the online gaming sector toward a more player-centric regulatory approach. Regulations include tighter know-your-customer and identity verification standards, mandatory responsible gaming tools and stricter controls on gambling advertising.
Even with total revenues down, Pagcor still posted a 4.18-percent rise in net income, which reached P17.47 billion in 2025.
Pagcor’s contributions to government programs, socio-civic initiatives and sports development totaled at P66.95 billion. This was 1.8 percent lower than the P68.21 billion in 2024.
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