Key points:
- The fees have been lowered once again from 35% down to 30%
- This is to improve channelisation and encourage more companies to apply for official licences
- Land-based resorts will have their rates lowered to 25%
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has lowered its fees for electronic games from 35% to 30% as part of the initiative to tackle illegal gambling.
The rates will be reduced further for integrated resorts, as low as 25%, to account for additional overhead expenses that land-based operators experience.
These fees are collected as part of licensees’ gross gaming revenues (GGR).
Despite the lowered fees, the electronic gaming sector passed the PHP100bn ($1.71bn) GGR annual target by September last year.
Good to know: Since the rates were lowered from 50% to 35%, the number of previously grey-market companies applying for official licenses increased by 14% to 1,188 online and land-based licensees
At the end of 2024, the official figures showed that the GGR for electronic games increased 464.38% during Q3 when compared to the year before.
Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, said: “By lowering our share rates, PAGCOR is creating a more favourable regulatory environment by encouraging unregistered online gaming operators to transition to the legal market.
“The gradual reduction of share rates has significantly contributed to the growth of the E-Games sector, which has become a key driver of the local gaming industry.”
In 2023, the rates were as high as 50%, but these have been steadily lowered over time to encourage business development and expansion.
The number of accredited gaming service providers also increased from 49 in 2023 to 174 in 2024.
