• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Thursday 10 July 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

PAGCOR to slash gaming tax on licensed PIGO operators to 35% in bid to quash grey market

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Tue 6 Feb 2024 at 04:24
PAGCOR to slash gaming tax on licensed PIGO operators to 35% in bid to quash grey market

PAGCOR chair Alejandro Tengco (left) during Monday’s regulators panel session at ICE VOX in London.

57
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has revealed it will reduce the gaming tax it charges domestic online gaming providers, or PIGOs, from its current rate of 42.5% to 35% from March in an effort to curb grey market operations.

The planned tax cut was revealed by PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, while speaking on a regulators panel at ICE VOX in London on Monday, and in an ensuing interview with Inside Asian Gaming.

Despite the PIGO industry enjoying 90% year-on-year growth in 2023, Tengco noted that licensed operators still only account for around 30% of the Philippines’ domestic online gaming market – in part because of the high taxes licensed operators have traditionally paid on revenues generated.

PAGCOR has previously lowered the rate from around 58% to 42.5% to address this issue but will lower it further from next month.

“One of the things that I had to change upon my ascension to office was that the share we were getting from online licensees was over 50%, and that was the main reason why the grey market in the online gaming industry in the Philippines was getting bigger and bigger,” Tengco explained.

“So, what we have done is brought down the rates to 42.5% and as of March we are bringing it down further to 35%. The main reason we are doing this is to encourage the ones that are operating illegally to surrender and perhaps apply for a license.

“The move we have made [in lowering the rate to 42.5%] has already turned out to be positive because not only have we seen the closure of existing licensees decline, we are seeing growth in the number of applications for new licenses. That’s why we are bringing down license fees for legitimate licensees.”

Tengco also provided an update on the Philippines’ offshore gaming industry – once known as POGO but since renamed to Internet Gaming Licensees or IGL for short – having last year suspended the licenses of all POGOs because “most of them had already shifted to illegal activities.”

“I would like to gladly report that have been able to rid about 70% of the old licensees,” he said on Monday. “From an initial 250 we are down to 75 licensees at the start of 2024, with around 20 more applications pending review. We have weeded out all the criminal activities in the industry.

“I am of the belief that by doing so we were able to make everyone aware that PAGCOR means business and by cleaning up the entire overseas license business we have shown to the world that we will not tolerate any criminal activities.”

Separately, Tengco confirmed that work in the land-based gaming space is continuing as PAGCOR looks revamp and eventually privatize its 41 self-operated casinos.

Privatization of PAGCOR’s casinos has been a key theme of the chairman’s tenure following criticism of the agency’s dual roles as both a regulator and an operator.

“We are in the process of privatizing the 41 facilities that PAGCOR owns and hopefully we will be able to start the privatization process towards the last quarter of 2025,” Tengco said.

“There is much to be done and we have to amend our charter because it doesn’t clearly define what specific role PAGCOR has to have but I, together with the Board, have decided that the only way to go is for PAGCOR to be a pure regulator and get rid of the operations aspect.”

RelatedPosts

PhilWeb falls to US$10.5 million loss in FY24 on asset impairments

Century Entertainment signs joint venture agreement to develop gaming system platforms for Asia-Pacific markets

Thu 10 Jul 2025 at 06:22
Interview with NUSTAR’s Chief Operating Officer Sean Knights

Interview with NUSTAR’s Chief Operating Officer Sean Knights

Wed 9 Jul 2025 at 17:45
Philippines licensed casinos suffer 2Q24 GGR decline but E-Games sector drives industry growth

PAGCOR chair Tengco says prohibition no solution to online gambling concerns, welcomes advertising restrictions

Wed 9 Jul 2025 at 06:22
Philippines President Marcos open to stricter online gambling regulations if “well-studied”

Philippines President Marcos open to stricter online gambling regulations if “well-studied”

Tue 8 Jul 2025 at 06:21
Load More
Tags: Alejandro H. TengcoICE LondoniGamingonline gamingPAGCORPhilippinesPIGOPOGOprivatization
Share23Share4
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – An inconvenient truth

Editorial – An inconvenient truth

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 15:21

It’s understandable that political observers, academics and members of the public in greenfield jurisdictions would express caution around the legalization...

Light & Wonder’s Siobhan Lane

Light & Wonder’s Siobhan Lane

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 15:19

Siobhan Lane, Light & Wonder’s highly experienced CEO of Gaming, speaks to Inside Asian Gaming about the company’s ongoing transformation...

Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 14:13

The Thailand Entertainment Complex Roundtable brought industry stakeholders, politicians and supporters of the government’s Entertainment Complex Bill face to face...

Sri Lanka’s casino industry

Sri Lanka’s casino industry

by Shaun McCamley
Fri 27 Jun 2025 at 13:36

Industry veteran Shaun McCamley delves into the complex history of Sri Lanka’s casino industry at a time when the country...

Evolution Asia
Your browser does not support HTML5 video.
Aristocrat
GLI
Nustar
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
NWR
Jumbo
568Win

Related Posts

PhilWeb falls to US$10.5 million loss in FY24 on asset impairments

Century Entertainment signs joint venture agreement to develop gaming system platforms for Asia-Pacific markets

by Newsdesk
Thu 10 Jul 2025 at 06:22

Century Entertainment International Holdings Ltd has announced the formation of a joint venture with Philippines-based World Platinum Technologies Inc (WPT) with the goal of conducting research, development, marketing and sales of WPT’s gaming system platforms and related content in the...

Macau GGR hits new post-pandemic high of MOP$20.8 billion in October

Citi: Macau industry EBITDA likely to have grown by 3% in 2Q25

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 10 Jul 2025 at 05:46

Investment bank Citigroup believes the 8% year-on-year growth in gaming revenues generated by Macau’s casino operators in the June quarter will translate to 3% industry EBITDA growth – somewhat tempered by an unfavorable revenue mix due to a rebound in...

Thailand’s casino bill officially on hold after House votes to remove it from agenda

Thailand’s casino bill officially on hold after House votes to remove it from agenda

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 10 Jul 2025 at 05:42

Thailand’s controversial casino bill is officially off the House agenda after members voted in favor of its withdrawal on Wednesday. Local media outlet The Nation reported that the vote took place after two hours of debate, with 253 votes in...

Macau government says ratio of local staff employed by concessionaires in middle and senior positions now at 90%

Macau government says ratio of local staff employed by concessionaires in middle and senior positions now at 90%

by Pierce Chan
Wed 9 Jul 2025 at 19:46

Around 90% of the middle and senior staff of Macau’s six concessionaires are now local employees, the government has revealed. According to information made public by Secretary for Economy and Finance Tai Kin Ip during a plenary session of the...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English