The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) intensified its restructuring of the country’s online gaming industry on May 25, 2026, confirming that all B2B suppliers serving the domestic online market must complete mandatory accreditation before 31 July 2026 or face system shutdowns and removal from the regulated ecosystem. The move represents a major structural shift in Philippine gaming regulation, transforming licensed operators and Gaming System Administrators (GSAs) into direct regulatory gatekeepers responsible for the compliance status of their entire supplier chain.
- PAGCOR to require full accreditation for all iGaming service providers by 2026
Under the updated framework, game aggregators, game studios, payment gateways, KYC providers, affiliates, streaming companies, support service providers and gaming technology vendors must now obtain direct PAGCOR accreditation to legally operate within the Philippine online market. Starting 1 August 2026, non-accredited suppliers’ risk having their systems decommissioned, disconnected or declared unauthorized by the regulator.
The accreditation regime was originally approved by the PAGCOR Board on 2 October 2025 and formalized through a regulatory memorandum issued on 9 October 2025, but today’s enforcement clarification confirms the regulator is entering the operational implementation phase of its post-POGO restructuring strategy under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The objective is to rebuild the domestic online gaming sector under tighter AML, KYC, payment monitoring and technology supervision standards after the dismantling of the offshore POGO model.
Regulatory authority remains under PAGCOR, led in 2026 by Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco, while technical supervision is handled by the I-Gaming Licensing and Regulation Group and the Electronic Gaming Licensing Department (EGLD). Financial integrity and probity reviews are coordinated with the PAGCOR Anti-Money Laundering Supervision and Enforcement Department (PASED).
Suppliers must complete non-refundable regulatory fee payments, submit full corporate documentation, pass system and facility inspections and provide a Performance Cash Deposit, reduced to PHP1 million for Game Content Providers. Platforms must also integrate responsible gaming systems, betting limits, AML/KYC protocols and API connectivity with PAGCOR’s National Database for Restricted Persons (NDRP).
The reform fundamentally changes the Philippine online gaming model: operators are no longer responsible only for their own licenses, but also for the legality, compliance and operational integrity of their payment systems, technology vendors, content providers and digital infrastructure. The Philippine gaming industry generated approximately PHP104.12 billion in GGR during 1Q25, although 2026 reports indicate pressure on e-games revenue as PAGCOR tightens control over the regulated online market.
