PAGCOR postpones new online gaming operator fees until 1 June

(AsiaGameHub) –   Philippine online gaming operators received a temporary reprieve this week concerning the newly established minimum guaranteed fees (MGFs). The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) stated that the implementation of this payment structure has been postponed from April to June, citing the “current economic crisis” as the reason.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has proclaimed a national energy emergency following oil shortages stemming from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. In an executive order issued on March 24, he noted that the conflict poses a risk to “the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply”. One estimate suggests that the Philippines possesses only a 45-day oil stockpile.

In a memorandum released on Monday, PAGCOR disclosed that its board of directors “approved the deferment … for a period of two months, or until 1 June”.

New fees ‘fill gaps in existing structure’

The new fee schedule was unveiled by PAGCOR in December. It mandated that between April and September, all licensed Philippine gaming system administrators (GSAs) providing e-games must remit MGFs of PHP9 million ($149,400), calculated on an estimated gross gaming revenue of PHP30 million. For GSAs not offering e-games, the monthly fee was set at PHP4 million, based on a GGR of PHP15 million. The rates were scheduled to rise to PHP10.5 million and PHP4 million, respectively, beginning in October.

The initial installment of MGFs is now set to run from June 1 to December 31. The subsequent installment is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2027. PAGCOR noted that it might modify the timeline further if deemed necessary.

Jessa Mariz Fernandez, the chief of PAGCOR’s offshore gaming licence department, stated in a January memorandum that these requirements are intended to “address the gaps in the current fee structure and uphold the principles of fairness, accountability and fiscal responsibility”.

During his address at ICE Barcelona that same month, PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco remarked that the new fees would also aid in nation-building and foster transparency.

“Regulation is not about avoiding discomfort,” Tengco declared during his keynote speech. “It is about building a system that is resilient, accountable and worthy of public trust.”

Based on 2025 projections referenced by the Filipino Business Hub, the online gambling industry in the Philippines is projected to produce PHP105.3 billion in revenue by 2027.