Online gaming named as one of the Phillipines’ biggest revenue drivers in 2025

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has named online gaming as one of the government’s biggest revenue drivers in 2025.

At the same time, PAGCOR has also warned about the danger of unregulated sites illegally targeting Filipino players in a report submitted to the House Committee on Games and Amusements. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco highlighted that the licensed online gaming sector earned 69 billion Philippine pesos ($1.2 billion) in license fees between January and July 2025 alone.

Breaking that down, 41 billion Philippine pesos ($720 million) was from electronic games, while the other 28 billion Philippine pesos ($490 million) came from varied other online games. That revenue funded billions into corporate social responsibility programs and nation-building efforts across the country.

“Because of its huge potential, online gaming has become an important source of funds for our nation-building commitments, including PAGCOR’s support for education, health care, and community development,” Tengco said.

Specifically, projects that benefited from the gaming revenue included flagship services from PAGCOR, such as building schools, socio-civic centers, wellness hubs, and e-learning spaces.

“Every peso we collect from the gaming sector translates to meaningful projects such as classrooms for our children, health programs for our people, and safe spaces for communities in times of calamity,” Tengco said. “This is how we ensure that gaming directly benefits Filipinos.”

The other side of the Philippines’ online gaming

However, while the financial gains are helping transform the Philippines, Tengco also warned about the growing risk of illegal online gaming providers. He underlined that they often target players of all ages without taking any of the regulatory safeguards into account.

“These illegal sites not only deprive the government of much-needed revenues but also expose Filipino players to numerous risks,” said Tengco.

He went on to push for stronger enforcement against such platforms, underlining PAGCOR’s commitment “to strengthening regulation and enforcement to ensure that only legitimate and properly monitored operators are allowed to operate”.

Readwrite has reached out to PAGCOR for further comment.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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