(AsiaGameHub) – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has announced a comprehensive overhaul of its cashback regulations as part of new promotional guidelines aimed at ensuring fair competition across the country’s gaming sector.
Effective immediately, operators are restricted from offering cashback on e-games exceeding 15% of a player’s net losses. For slots, e-bingo, numeric games, and sports betting, maximum cash rebates are capped at 1.5% of either the player’s turnover or deposit amount.
Going forward, all cash rebates and cashback payouts must be classified as “expenses incurred during gaming operations,” rather than being recorded as direct losses.
PAGCOR stated that these changes have been introduced to prevent what it describes as “destructive competition” and a potential “race to the bottom,” particularly as larger market players attempt to gain dominance by providing disproportionately generous promotional offers.
iGaming growth contrasts with land-based decline
This regulatory update follows a significant shift in the Philippine gaming landscape, where online gaming has begun to outpace traditional casino-based revenue.
According to PAGCOR’s most recent financial disclosures, electronic gaming revenues surpassed those from licensed land-based casinos for the first time last year, highlighting divergent trends between the two sectors.
Electronic gaming income increased by 30% year-on-year, reaching P201.12 billion (£2.48 billion), which accounted for 50.77% of the total P396.1 billion (£4.87 billion) in consolidated revenue.
In contrast, revenue from licensed casinos fell by 9.58%, declining to P182.50 billion (£2.24 billion) from P201.84 billion (£2.48 billion) in 2024. Similarly, PAGCOR-operated venues saw their income drop by 21% year-on-year to P12.52 billion (£154 million).
Reflecting this downturn, several major casino operators in the Philippines have turned their attention to iGaming as a strategic growth avenue. Among them is Okada Manila.
Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, the owner of Okada Manila, confirmed today (13 May) that its online platform, OKADA PLAY, has now officially launched. The move is intended to help the company tap into new revenue streams amid weakening performance linked to the broader contraction in the physical casino industry.
Nobuki Sato, President and Chief Operating Officer of Okada Manila, remarked: “This launch represents a pivotal milestone in our digital transformation, allowing us to extend our gaming experience to a wider audience throughout the Philippines via OKADA PLAY.”
Regulatory oversight continues to tighten
PAGCOR’s latest directive reflects an ongoing trend of stricter regulation within the Philippine gaming market.
Earlier this month, the national government issued updated operational protocols to support the enforcement of the 2024 ban on offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
The new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) integrate the two primary orders governing the POGO ban with 15 additional laws and department directives into a unified implementation plan.
Despite nearly two years having passed since the Philippines implemented the POGO ban, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto warned that such operations remain “a persistent and adaptive threat, always capable of resurfacing if vigilance wanes.”
“These SOPs represent a shift in strategy—from simply closing down hubs to systematically dismantling criminal networks, seizing illicit assets, securing convictions, protecting affected individuals, and severing the financial and corporate ties that sustain these enterprises,” he added.
Enforcement efforts against POGOs will now be coordinated primarily by the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC), with collaborative support from the Department of Justice, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content.
AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.