Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to PAGCOR's decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get a gambling license in the Philippines.
The Philippine market is now domestic only. PAGCOR lists every offshore gaming licensee, POGOs included, as cancelled, and its venue licensees are expressly not licensed for offshore play. Online gaming reaches Filipino players through two PAGCOR doors: licensed gaming venue operators, who offer online play as an adjunct service to their registered players, and accredited Gaming System Administrators, 59 of them as of 17 September 2026. Accreditation costs PHP 5 million per game offering plus a cash deposit of PHP 25-50 million.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
The Philippines in brief
A domestic market, with the offshore door shut.
PAGCOR, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, licenses gaming under its charter, Presidential Decree No. 1869 of 1983 as amended by Republic Act No. 9487 of 2007, and runs casinos of its own as well. Its Electronic Gaming Licensing Department covers everything except land-based casinos: traditional and electronic bingo, electronic casino games, sports betting, specialty games, online poker and numeric games. The current Schedule of Fees, dated 2 July 2026, splits the permissions by role. Gaming Venue Operators hold a Standard Licence per game offering or a Unified Licence for all offerings. Gaming System Administrators are accredited per game offering. Game Content Providers register as B2B suppliers, and support service providers, testing laboratories included, register per type of service. Online play is an add-on. PAGCOR describes it as an adjunct service the venue operator provides to its own registered players.
Offshore is closed. PAGCOR publishes cancellation lists for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators under the old framework, for local gaming agents and providers under the new one and for remote-play licensees, and its list of 259 venue licensees, dated 31 August 2026, states that they are not licensed for offshore gaming or POGO. A Philippine licence therefore serves players in the Philippines, aged 21 and over. The heaviest cheque is the platform's: GSA accreditation costs PHP 5 million per game offering, with a performance cash deposit of PHP 25 million for one offering or PHP 50 million for two or more. On top come the PAGCOR share, set in a separate regulatory framework, and a Minimum Guaranteed Fee under memoranda of 15 December 2025 and 21 May 2026; we confirm both per case. Electronic games produced PHP 185.26 billion of gross gaming revenue in 2025.
Domestic only: PAGCOR lists all offshore and POGO licences as cancelled. Online play reaches Filipino players through licensed venue operators and 59 accredited Gaming System Administrators (17 September 2026).
GSA accreditation is PHP 5M per game offering plus a PHP 25M-50M cash deposit; a Unified venue licence is PHP 1.2M for three years. PAGCOR share and Minimum Guaranteed Fee confirmed per case. Built from Manila.
The two routes
The venue licence, or the platform accreditation.
Domestic online gaming runs on two PAGCOR permissions: the venue operator's licence, whose registered players play online, and the Gaming System Administrator's accreditation for the platform and its registered brands and domains.
The venue licence, or the GSA platform accreditation.
01 - GAMING VENUE OPERATOR
The venue licence
The B2C licence for a domestic gaming venue, Standard per game offering or Unified for all offerings, with online play offered to the venue's registered players. The Unified Licence costs PHP 1.2 million for three years and PHP 800,000 per two-year renewal, with a PHP 2 million performance cash deposit per venue.
The B2C licence for a domestic gaming venue, Standard per game offering or Unified for all offerings, with online play offered to the venue's registered players. The Unified Licence costs PHP 1.2 million for three years and PHP 800,000 per two-year renewal, with a PHP 2 million performance cash deposit per venue.
- ✓Standard or Unified Licence
- ✓Unified PHP 1,200,000 · valid 3 years
- ✓Renewal PHP 800,000 every 2 years
- ✓Cash deposit PHP 2,000,000 per venue
- ✓eCasino PHP 500,000 · sports betting PHP 200,000
- ✓Online play for registered players
02 - GAMING SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR
PHP 5M per game offeringThe platform accreditation
PAGCOR accredits the companies that run the gaming systems and registers their brands and domain names. Accreditation costs PHP 5 million per game offering, with a performance cash deposit of PHP 25 million for one offering or PHP 50 million for two or more. On 17 September 2026, 59 GSAs held accreditation.
GSA: PHP 5M per game offering, a PHP 25M or 50M cash deposit, brands and domains registered. 59 accredited on 17 September 2026.
- ✓PHP 5,000,000 per game offering
- ✓PHP 25,000,000 deposit for one offering
- ✓PHP 50,000,000 deposit for two or more
- ✓Brands and domains registered
- ✓59 accredited at 17 September 2026
- ✓Content providers PHP 250,000 per offering
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. Fees follow PAGCOR's Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026; the PAGCOR share and the Minimum Guaranteed Fee are confirmed per case.
Why the Philippines
A large domestic market, open only to the licensed.
The Philippines closed its offshore book and kept a domestic one that PAGCOR prices and polices in public.
✓
A market PAGCOR measures
Total gross gaming revenue was PHP 396.14 billion in 2025, and electronic games alone produced PHP 185.26 billion of it.PHP 396.14bn GGR in 2025.
✓
Every fee in one schedule
The Schedule of Fees dated 2 July 2026 prices each venue licence, accreditation and registration by game offering, with validity periods attached.Dated 2 July 2026.
✓
Public brand and domain lists
Accredited GSAs and their registered brands and domain names are listed publicly, and PAGCOR names more than 500 websites that misuse its logo or certificates.Registered domains, published.
✓
A B2B lane for content
Game Content Providers register at PHP 250,000 per game offering for two years, with a PHP 1 million deposit, so a studio can supply without running a venue or a platform.PHP 250,000 per offering.
✓
Conduct rules already written
The minimum age is 21 and the Responsible Gaming Code of Practice is at version 6.0, with an online self-exclusion portal that close relatives can use too.Age 21, RG Code v6.0.
✓
Warning: no offshore book
A Philippine licence serves players in the Philippines only. Every offshore and POGO licence on PAGCOR's lists is cancelled, and venue licensees are not licensed for offshore gaming.No offshore book.
How it compares
How the Philippines differs from other routes.
The Philippines is a licence for one domestic market, priced through per-offering fees and large cash deposits.
The Philippines vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  The Philippines | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Philippines only, 21+ | Global book from Curaçao |
| Platform entry | PHP 5M per offering + PHP 25M-50M deposit | €100k/€40k share capital in Malta |
| Offshore licensing | Cancelled | The core of Curaçao's licence |
| Regulator | PAGCOR - also a casino operator | Regulator only in Malta and Curaçao |
Players
The PhilippinesPhilippines only, 21+
Other jurisdictionsGlobal book from Curaçao
Platform entry
The PhilippinesPHP 5M per offering + PHP 25M-50M deposit
Other jurisdictions€100k/€40k share capital in Malta
Offshore licensing
The PhilippinesCancelled
Other jurisdictionsThe core of Curaçao's licence
Regulator
The PhilippinesPAGCOR - also a casino operator
Other jurisdictionsRegulator only in Malta and Curaçao
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | PAGCOR venue · GSA | PAGCOR share · per framework | PHP 25M-50M GSA deposit |
 Curaçao | CGA online gaming · supplier | 22% profit tax · planned | Curaçao BV, resident director |
 Malta | MGA B2C · B2B | 5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR | €100k/€40k capital, key functions |
 Isle of Man | OGRA full · sub · network | 0% CIT · duty from 1.5% | IoM company, local substance |
PhilippinesLicense typePAGCOR venue · GSA
TaxationPAGCOR share · per framework
RequirementsPHP 25M-50M GSA deposit
CuraçaoLicense typeCGA online gaming · supplier
Taxation22% profit tax · planned
RequirementsCuraçao BV, resident director
MaltaLicense typeMGA B2C · B2B
Taxation5% eff. via refunds · 5% Malta GGR
Requirements€100k/€40k capital, key functions
Isle of ManLicense typeOGRA full · sub · network
Taxation0% CIT · duty from 1.5%
RequirementsIoM company, local substance
Before you apply
Requirements for the PAGCOR licence.Requirements for the licence.
PAGCOR prices every permission by game offering. These ten items are what a venue or GSA file carries; ownership and residence rules are confirmed with PAGCOR per case.
01
Defined game offerings - each offering (e-bingo, electronic casino games, sports betting, specialty games, online poker, numeric games) named, because fees and deposits attach per offering.
02
Venue licence - Standard per game offering, or Unified at PHP 1,200,000 for all offerings, valid three years and renewed every two at PHP 800,000.
03
Venue cash deposit - PHP 1,000,000 on a Standard Licence, PHP 2,000,000 per gaming venue on a Unified Licence.
04
GSA accreditation - PHP 5,000,000 per game offering under the Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026.
05
GSA cash deposit - a performance cash deposit of PHP 25,000,000 for one game offering or PHP 50,000,000 for two or more.
06
Registered brands and domains - every brand and URL registered with PAGCOR and shown on its published GSA list.
07
Game content - suppliers registered as Game Content Providers at PHP 250,000 per game offering, with a PHP 1,000,000 deposit.
08
Testing and services - support services registered at PHP 250,000 per type of service, independent game testing laboratories at PHP 500,000, each valid two years.
09
Player rules - no play under 21 and none by barred persons, including government officials and employees, police and military personnel, and people on the National Database of Restricted Persons.
10
Responsible gaming - the Responsible Gaming Code of Practice version 6.0, with exclusions from the online self-exclusion portal honoured.
01
Game offerings defined.
02
Venue licence: Standard or Unified.
03
Venue cash deposit.
04
GSA PHP 5M per offering.
05
GSA deposit PHP 25M-50M.
06
Brands and domains registered.
07
Content providers registered.
08
Testing lab registered.
09
21+ and barred-person checks.
10
RG Code v6.0 applied.
Reflects PAGCOR's Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026 and its published rules as of 2026. The PAGCOR share, the Minimum Guaranteed Fee and eligibility rules are confirmed with PAGCOR per case.PAGCOR Schedule of Fees, 2 July 2026.
How it works
From first call to the PAGCOR list.
01
Route and offerings
Venue, GSA or content provider, with the game offerings chosen and costed per offering.Venue, GSA or content.
02
Company and deposits
Applicant set up with ownership and eligibility confirmed with PAGCOR; cash deposits of PHP 1M-50M arranged by route.PHP 1M-50M by route.
03
The application
Licence or accreditation application lodged with the scheduled fee: PHP 5 million per offering for a GSA.PHP 5M per offering (GSA).
04
PAGCOR review
Questions answered, systems and brands registered. Plan for 4-6 months in all.4-6 months in all.
05
Listing and launch
Brands and domains on PAGCOR's published list, renewal dates in the calendar.Brands published.
Quick facts
RegulatorPAGCOR
MarketDomestic only · 21+
GSA accreditationPHP 5,000,000 per offering
GSA cash depositPHP 25M / PHP 50M
Unified venue licencePHP 1,200,000 · 3 years
Venue renewalPHP 800,000 · every 2 years
Accredited GSAs59 (17 September 2026)
Realistic timeline4-6 months
Scheduled fees are public. The PAGCOR share and the Minimum Guaranteed Fee sit in separate instruments, and we confirm both before you commit a deposit.
On the ground in the Philippines
Run from our Manila office.
Prifinance - Philippines
Manila · Philippines
Manila, Philippines
01
Route and offerings
Venue licence, GSA accreditation or content registration chosen, and the game offerings fixed, since every fee and deposit counts per offering.Offerings fixed first.
02
The PAGCOR file
Applications under the Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026 prepared and lodged, with the cash deposits planned into the budget from the start.Fees and deposits planned.
03
Brands and domains
Every brand and domain registered with PAGCOR before launch, so the platform appears on the published list and nowhere near the warning notice.On the published list.
04
Fees on revenue
The PAGCOR share and the Minimum Guaranteed Fee confirmed with PAGCOR and modelled before any deposit is committed.Confirmed before commitment.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Väike-Paala tn 1
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of gaming operators in the Philippines.
PAGCOR collects its own share of gaming revenue on top of the scheduled fees, at rates set outside the fee schedule and confirmed per case.
The PAGCOR share
Venue operators pay PAGCOR a share of gaming revenue under its regulatory framework for fees and rates on gaming venue operations. We confirm the current rate with PAGCOR before modelling.Rate confirmed per case.
Minimum guaranteed fee
Set by PAGCOR memorandum of 15 December 2025 and amended on 21 May 2026. We confirm the amount per case.Memoranda 2025-2026.
Scheduled fees
Accreditation, licence and registration fees are fixed in the Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026, per game offering.Per game offering.
Cash deposits
Performance cash deposits run from PHP 1 million on a Standard venue licence to PHP 50 million for a GSA with two or more offerings.PHP 1M-50M.
Land-based casinos
Licensed casinos remit PAGCOR licence fees on table-game and electronic gaming machine operations under the Casino Regulatory Manual of 13 August 2025.Licence fees on operations.
National taxes
Tax on profits, VAT and any tax on winnings are confirmed per structure before launch.Per structure.
Tax summary
PAGCOR sharePer regulatory framework · confirmed
Minimum Guaranteed FeePer memorandum, amended 21 May 2026
GSA accreditationPHP 5,000,000 per offering
Cash depositsPHP 1M-50M by route
National taxesConfirmed per structure
*As of 2026 per PAGCOR's Schedule of Fees and memoranda. Group and founder-level outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: the applicant company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed operator.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Philippines · PAGCOR
Launch your gaming project in the Philippines with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from the route and game offerings to the PAGCOR application, cash deposits and brand registration - run through our Manila office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the Philippines the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Philippines gaming licence, answered.
Can a Philippine licence serve players abroad?+
No. PAGCOR lists every offshore and POGO licensee, under the old and new frameworks, as cancelled, and its venue licensees are not licensed for offshore gaming. A Philippine licence today covers players in the Philippines, aged 21 and over.
How does online gaming work in the Philippines?+
Through PAGCOR-licensed venue operators, which offer online play as an adjunct service to their registered players, and PAGCOR-accredited Gaming System Administrators whose brands and domain names are registered and published. On 17 September 2026 there were 59 accredited GSAs.
What does GSA accreditation cost?+
PHP 5 million per game offering under the Schedule of Fees of 2 July 2026, plus a performance cash deposit of PHP 25 million for one offering or PHP 50 million for two or more. The PAGCOR share and the Minimum Guaranteed Fee come on top.
What does a venue licence cost?+
A Unified Licence for all game offerings costs PHP 1.2 million for three years and PHP 800,000 per two-year renewal, with a PHP 2 million cash deposit per venue. Standard licences are priced per game offering, from PHP 200,000 for sports betting.
How is gaming taxed?+
PAGCOR takes a share of gaming revenue under its regulatory framework and a Minimum Guaranteed Fee under memoranda of 15 December 2025 and 21 May 2026; we confirm both per case. National taxes on profits are modelled per structure.
How long does PAGCOR take?+
We plan on 4-6 months and confirm PAGCOR's current timetable per case. Deposits, game offerings and brand registrations are prepared before filing, because fees and deposits are priced per offering.
Who may not play?+
Anyone under 21, government officials and employees, members of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, people on the National Database of Restricted Persons and employees of gaming licensees. Spouses, children or parents can apply to have a relative excluded.
Can a game studio enter without a venue or platform?+
Yes, as a registered Game Content Provider: PHP 250,000 per game offering, valid two years, with a PHP 1 million performance cash deposit. The content then reaches players through licensed venues and accredited GSAs.
The Philippines or Curaçao for an online casino group?+
Curaçao does what the Philippines no longer allows: a direct CGA licence for a global book outside ring-fenced markets, reviewed in two eight-week phases. The Philippines is a ring-fenced domestic market, but a large one: electronic games produced PHP 185.26 billion of GGR in 2025.
Why Prifinance for the Philippines?+
We choose the route and game offerings with you, prepare the PAGCOR application and deposits, register brands and domains, and confirm the PAGCOR share before you commit. The work runs from our Manila office.
Offshore?+
No - cancelled.
Online model?+
Venues + accredited GSAs.
GSA cost?+
PHP 5M + PHP 25-50M deposit.
Venue cost?+
PHP 1.2M unified, 3 years.
Tax?+
PAGCOR share, confirmed.
How long?+
4-6 months realistic.
Who can't play?+
Under-21s, officials, barred persons.
Studios?+
GCP: PHP 250,000 per offering.
Or Curaçao?+
Global book vs big home market.
Why you?+
Manila office, deposits planned.
Client notes
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Founders who wanted it done right.
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Start today
One message away from your Philippine gambling licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which PAGCOR route fits your project and what the offerings and deposits will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.