PAGCOR Plans App to Help Players Identify Legal Online Gaming Sites

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation plans to launch an application that will help online gaming players distinguish licensed platforms from unlicensed sites. According to the regulating body, the software is set to be launched this year, and its purpose will be to enable customers to identify the gaming establishments that are under the jurisdiction of the PAGCOR regulations.

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Alejandro H. Tengco, chairman and CEO of the PAGCOR, announced the new application when he testified before the House Committee on Appropriations during a budget hearing.

App Targets Illegal Online Gaming

Tengco said the app has 2 main objectives: reducing illegal online gambling and protecting players by directing them toward platforms licensed and regulated by PAGCOR.

The initiative comes as PAGCOR and other government agencies continue efforts to curb illegal online gaming and encourage players to use regulated services. Tengco said around 50% of online gaming sites accessed in the Philippines were illegal, making it difficult for the regulator and law enforcement partners to keep players within the regulated sector.

The app is intended to make the process of checking a platform easier. Players will be encouraged to use the application to identify where they can legally play and avoid the risks associated with unregulated operators.

Verification Tool Builds On Existing Work

PAGCOR said that the app is in line with the regulator’s previous efforts to allow people to differentiate between the legal and illegal gaming sites. PAGCOR Guarantee was established by the regulator in 2025, which is a website used for verifying if an online gaming site is legally licensed.

The new application will add another way for players to access information about authorized platforms. The source announcement did not provide details about the app’s design, operating system availability, or the specific information it will display for each gaming site.

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The regulator also did not announce a precise launch date. It said only that the app is scheduled to be introduced later this year.

Agencies Coordinate Against Illegal Operators

PAGCOR is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center to prosecute illegal online gaming operators.

The coordination includes action against payment channels used by unlicensed operators. The agencies’ work forms part of the wider government response to illegal online gaming activity and the systems that support it.

The planned app is therefore being introduced alongside enforcement and prosecution efforts. It is designed to support players in choosing regulated platforms, while PAGCOR and its government partners continue addressing operators and payment channels linked to unlicensed gaming.

Player Protection Remains A Priority

PAGCOR said making licensed platforms easier to identify would help protect players from illegal operators. The agency’s approach combines public verification tools, cooperation with other government offices, and action against unlicensed gaming services.

The planned app will not replace the regulator’s existing verification facility. Instead, it will build on the PAGCOR Guarantee page and provide another channel through which players can check the legal status of online gaming sites.

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Source: Inside Asian Gaming