The Philippine’s gaming authority, PAGCOR, has recently awarded 40 initial permits through its rebranded Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) plan, as evidenced by a roster released late last week. At the same time, nine temporary IGLs, formerly referred to as POGOs, have been announced.
In an effort to combat various criminal activities observed within the sector, PAGCOR had previously placed all POGO licensees on a temporary basis last year and demanded a renewal of their licenses under a fresh disciplinary structure, leading to the current list of IGLs.
PAGCOR’s Rebranding Initiative
PAGCOR’s rebranding initiative marks a significant shift from POGOs to IGLs, as first disclosed by the Inside Asian Gaming platform. In an interview last October, Alejandro H. Tengco, the Chairman and CEO of PAGCOR, unveiled the organization’s objective to issue between 55 to 60 permits. He emphasized that the industry will exclusively operate under IGL licenses, with service provider licenses being phased out.
Regarding gaming revenues, the latest figures provided by PAGCOR indicate that offshore gaming operators contributed Php3.15 billion (US$54.3 million) in revenue to the regulator in 2023.
