PAGCOR keeps its freeze on new online gaming licences as licensees fall to 48

Source: Philstar, 27 August 2026. Updated 27 October 2026.

What was reported

PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said PAGCOR has no plans to issue new online gaming licences for now (Philstar):

• Online gaming licensees have fallen from 74 to 48.
• The moratorium on new online gaming licences, imposed through a board resolution in March 2024, stays. Tengco: "For now, I want the whole industry to consolidate."
• Weaker operators are expected to leave, and PAGCOR will decide later whether to issue licences again. He said some licensees held licences idle, apparently to sell them, and PAGCOR is working to remove them.
• Rates are 30% for e-game operators and 25% for integrated resorts, unchanged.

What it means if you see a "new online casino"

With a freeze on new licences, a casino advertised as brand new and "PAGCOR licensed" deserves a closer look. It could be a new brand launched by an existing licensee (PAGCOR's accredited administrator list allows each administrator one main brand and up to six sub-brands, per its column headings), a rebrand, or an unlicensed site using PAGCOR's name.

1. Match the exact address on PAGCOR Guarantee and in our registered-domains list (dated 20 October 2026).
2. Use the brand check and the licence checker.
3. Be wary of fake PAGCOR pages (fake PAGCOR sites) and APKs (APK warning).

See the current PAGCOR-listed casinos. 21+ only; gambling can be addictive, know when to stop. Help: 02-8248-9568.