Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the state-run governing body for gambling, has confirmed that it will impose a new monthly fee on operators. Starting from April 1, 2026, online gambling platforms will contribute a reasonable amount to the national revenue. Officials claim this measure will address the gaps in the current fee structure and foster fairness, accountability and fiscal responsibility among gambling companies.
PAGCOR to Impose a Mandatory Minimum Guaranteed Fee on Gambling Providers from April 1, 2026: Key Insights
- Every licensed Gaming System Administrator (GSA) will be required to pay a Minimum Guaranteed Fee (MGF) each month. The fund will enable PAGCOR to perform its regulatory duties in a fair and transparent manner.
- The MGF will be calculated on the minimum monthly Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) of licensed gambling operators. GSAs offering electronic casino games will be taxed at a higher rate than those offering other gaming services.
- The first tranche will be effective from April 1 to September 30 2026, following which the E-Games Licensing Department (EGLD) will review the outcome. The second tranche will be implemented from October 1, 2026.
Minimum Guarantee Fee Will Fund PAGCOR’s Daily Operations, Claim Officials
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is going to revolutionise how electronic gaming providers are taxed. According to a memorandum published on Monday, December 15, all iGaming system administrators and venue operators will be required to pay a monthly Minimum Guaranteed Fee (MGF), calculated on their monthly Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
PAGCOR’s Board of Directors approved the decision during a meeting on December 4. Officials claim this measure will enable the online gambling watchdog to address gaps in the current fee structure and ensure fairness, accountability, and fiscal responsibility across the sector.
Addressing the situation, Jessa Mariz Raymundo Fernandez, the Assistant Vice President of the Offshore Gaming Licensing Department at PAGCOR, noted in the memorandum that the MGF will enable the gambling regulator to discharge its duties responsibly and transparently.
Fernandez’s statement reads:
The introduction of an MGF per month is a timely and necessary reform that will ensure all accredited Gaming System Administrators (GSA) contribute equitably to national revenue, promote active and transparent operations, and reinforce the government’s commitment to a sustainable, accountable, and integrity-driven gaming industry.
This is part of a wider government initiative to regulate remote gambling in the Philippines, which is a major source of revenue for the state. PAGCOR recently pledged to comply with strict gambling regulations and regulate gambling ads nationwide to promote safe gambling environments. In November, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr signed the Anti-POGO Act, banning offshore gambling platforms from targeting Filipino consumers.
Minimum Guaranteed Fee to be Imposed in Two Tranches
The first tranche of the MGF will be implemented from April 1 to September 30, 2026. During this period, GSAs with electronic casino games that earn more than PHP 30,000,000 (approximately €433,127) per month will have to pay PHP 9,000,000 (nearly €129,938) as MGF.
GSAs without electronic casino games will be required to pay PHP 3,000,000 (roughly €43,312) if their monthly GGR exceeds PHP 15,000,000 (approximately €216,563). PAGCOR’s E-Games Licensing Department (EGLD) will review the outcome after the initial six months.
The second tranche of the MGF is scheduled to commence on October 1, 2026. During this period, GSAs with electronic casino games that are earning a monthly GGR over PHP 35,000,000 (nearly €505,315) will be required to pay PHP 10,500,000 (roughly €151,594) to the gambling regulator in MGF.
Meanwhile, GSAs without electronic casino games will have to pay PHP 4,000,000 (approximately €57,750) in MGF if their monthly revenue exceeds PHP 20,000,000 (nearly €288,751). GSAs offering electronic games along with other games of chance will be required to pay the MGF applicable to e-games.
Any operator found offering electronic casino games without the necessary clearances from PAGCOR will be penalised, as per established Filipino laws. New licensees will have a six-month grace period from the date of accreditation, following which appropriate MGF rates will be automatically applied.
The latest tax rate will affect licensed online gambling operators in the Philippines at a time when the sector is already battling declining revenue amid consistent competition from offshore platforms. To counter the proliferation of black-market gambling and protect consumers from financial harm, PAGCOR has launched an online tool for checking the authenticity of gaming websites.
Proactive measures such as these have been safeguarding consumer interests at a time when offshore gambling sites have become pretty popular globally. As the Filipino gambling sector prepares for a new category, all eyes will be on how the industry stakeholders react to the change and the side effects on the market.