Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Licensing
Local License:
PAGCOR
Population growth:
Internet users:
Urbanization:
Urbanization - 48.3%
Languages in the country:
Filipino and English (official)
Tagalog - 39.9%.
Bisaya/Binisaya - 16%
Hiligaynon/Ilonggo - 7.3%
Age structure:
0-14 - 30.2%
15-64 years old - 64.3%
65+ - 5.6%
Middle age:
Total - 25.7
Men - 25.1
Women - 26.3
Literacy:
Total - 96.3%
Men - 95.7%
Women - 96.9%
Real GDP:
2021 - $1.002 trillion.
2022 - $1.078 trillion.
2023 - $1.138 trillion.
Real GDP growth:
2021 - 5.71%.
2022 - 7.58%.
2023 - 5.55%.
GDP per capita:
2021 - $8,800
2022 - $9,300
2023 - $9,700
Top payment systems
Top Payment Methods (October 2024):
Слоты по доли рынка
Top Slots
Most popular games among Filipino players (Fall 2024):
Affiliates receiving traffic
More about gambling regulation
Gambling in the Philippines has a long history - the island state legalized it back in the 16th century. In 1975, the law No. 1067-a, which is still in force today, was issued to regulate the gambling market in the country. In the same year, PAGCOR - the state body for supervision of the gambling industry and promotion of tourism - was established. Since then, the country's iGaming industry has significantly expanded, and Manila began to strive for the status of the center of gambling in Asia.
Peculiarities of regulation
The Cagayan and Freeport economic zone does not lend itself to the islands' primary legislation. Casinos and online gambling in these regions are only available to tourists. In addition, in the provinces of Cagayan and Freeport, gambling is allowed from the age of 18, when in the rest of the country the age threshold is higher at 21;
All gambling laws in the Philippines are aimed at casino operators, not players. Thus, casinos and BCs registered on the islands cannot offer online services to their compatriots;
In general, online gambling is legal in the country. Filipinos are allowed to play online poker, online casinos, sports betting and horse racing from licensed operators. In addition, locals are allowed to gamble on offshore gambling sites.
Recent trends in legislation
Since 2023, the current president has been actively advocating for a ban on online gambling for all Filipino citizens. However, for the time being, we should not expect the regulation of online gambling in the islands to be tightened;
The Philippines has fairly lenient sports betting laws, making the market particularly attractive for BC operators.
Given the locals' love of gambling, the Philippine GEO can offer operators a large and lucrative customer base.
The President of the Philippines signed an executive order in early November 2024 that completely banned all offshore gambling activities in the country, including POGOs (Philippine offshore gambling operators that operated both domestically and in the foreign gambling market) and iGaming licensees (IGLs).
The ordinance, which takes effect immediately, was initiated in response to growing public concern about the ongoing crime and social problems associated with online gambling.
On this occasion, the Philippine authorities have envisaged the establishment of two special teams:
The first group will focus on supporting laid-off Filipino workers (retraining and upgrading their skills)
The second group will be busy closing down both licensed and illegal gambling operators
In addition, the country's Bureau of Internal Revenue will be responsible for promptly collecting the remaining taxes from offshore iGaming operators.
Radical measures by the Philippine authorities are forcing offshore operators to seek new havens for their activities. For example, neighboring countries to the Philippines, such as East Timor or Cambodia.
About blocking and liability
High
Legislation:
Often severe restrictions/limitations on advertising
The activity of the authorities:
High
Risk of harassment of non-residents:
Medium
The risk in entering the country:
Medium
Risk of extradition to the country:
Medium
Precedents (against non-residents):
None/single
Comment on the level of risk:
Philippines: Markets with high regulatory activity; avoid without local license. Risk of extradition to the country is medium - serious case inquiries from the US and some other partner countries are possible.
Blask.com data - index and top brands
Indicates the aggregate level of engagement and interest in all brands in a country. This indicator serves as a barometer for the iGaming industry and combines various indicators to give an overview of trends and changes in the market.
Top brands in the country according to the Blask.com service
| PHDream | 11.74% |
| PlayTime | 10.02% |
| Bingo Plus | 9.13% |
| Casino Plus | 8.92% |
| ph365 | 7.51% |
*BAP (Brand's Accumulated Power) - accumulated brand power, reflects the brand's share of consumer interest in the online gambling market. The relative presence of a brand in a country. The BAP graph is presented below:
Data for the section is provided by the analytical service Blask.com.. At the moment, the service's database contains information on more than 80+ countries and more than 2500 brands.
Gambling in the country
Gambling is widely popular among the Filipino population. According to TGM Research, 58% Filipinos have bet or gambled at least once in 2022.
Average age online casino players:
Among the players interviewed. betting on sports:
Betting is popular among young people: almost half of the bettors are in the age category from 18 to 34 (45%).
There is a large lottery demand (Bingo, Powerball):
Online slots are played by 24% of the population, predominantly an audience of 35 to 44 (32% of all players).
Online card games (blackjack, poker) are played by 22% men and 21% women. The popularity of card games is observed among all age categories (21%-25%), except for gamblers from 55 to 64 (7%).
The iGaming market in the Philippines is growing strongly, thanks to the liberalization of legislation and the country's strategic location. The gambling sector is expected to continue to expand in the coming years.
What's in demand?
The popularity of bingo among women
In the Philippines, bingo is popular among women - 33% of those participating in gambling choose this game. This highlights the need for marketing strategies that specifically target female audiences.
Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Licensing
Local License:
PAGCOR
About the population of the country
Official Language:
English, Tagalog
Believers:
86 %
Second Religion:
Basic information about the country
Name of country:
Philippines
Code (2-digit):
PH
Continent:
Asia
Capital:
Manila
Area of the country:
300,000 square kilometers.
Phone Code:
63
Currency (currency code):
Philippine Peso (PHP)
Geographical features of the country
Autonomous Region: Bangsamoro in Muslim Mindanao.
Administrative Region: Cordillera.
Region (16): Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Davao, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Ilocos, Calabarson, Caraga, Mimaropa, Negros, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccxsarhen, Capital City, Central Visayas, Central Luzon.
The modern territory of the country was partially or fully occupied by the following states: Spanish Empire, Japanese Empire.
The Philippines is washed by seas: Philippine Sea, South China Sea, Sulawesi Sea, Sulu Sea, Molucca Sea, Mindanao Sea, Sibuyan Sea, Visayan Sea, Camotes Sea, Samar Sea.
The Philippines has access to lakes: Laguna de Bai, Lanao, Taal, Mainit.
The Philippines owns the islands: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Masbate, Catanduanes, Basilan, Marinduque, Busuanga, Jolo, Dinagat, Tablas, Polillo, Tawi-Tawi and others.
Mountains within the country: Apo, Dulang-Dulang, Pulag, Kitanglad, Kalatungan, Mayon, Bulusan, Pinatubo.
Volcanoes are present in the area: Apo, Mayon, Bulusan, Pinatubo, Taal.
Famous caves in the country: St. Paul's, Odloman.
Discussions on country characteristics
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