Privatisation of Pagcor casinos awaiting consent from government oversight commission, according to its CEO

“Pagcor’s dual role has served its purpose in the past but as the industry matured, it became clear that – in layman’s terms – a referee cannot also be a player on the same field,” said Mr Tengco as cited in a press release.

The Pagcor chief said the GCG was currently “reviewing” the required documents regarding the privatisation of the Casino Filipino-branded chain of public-sector casinos. He was speaking on Tuesday at the Inside Asian Gaming Summit 2025 in Manila.

Mr Tengco said the separation of Pagcor’s regulatory and operational functions requires “careful legal consideration” – the body is governed by Presidential Decree 1869 and its Republic Act 9487 amendment.

In September last year, Mr Tengco had said the privatisation of Pagcor’s gaming operations was expected to start in 2026, as the agency’s charter would have to be amended first.

“We still have to amend the charter of Pagcor. So next year will be allocated for the amendments,” he stated at the time.

In his Tuesday remarks, the Pagcor boss assured that employees at Casino Filipino venues would be protected through “redeployment, absorption by privatised operators, or grant of competitive retirement benefits” once privatisation of the agency’s gaming operations moved ahead.

Mr Tengco also suggested that the Philippine gaming industry was on track in 2025 for another record year in terms of gross gaming revenue (GGR), after reaching about US$6.5 billion in full-year 2024.

According to Pagcor data, the country’s gaming industry generated GGR of PHP214.75 billion (US$3.75 billion) in the first half of 2025, up 25.6 percent year-on-year, with the electronic games sector accounting for almost 53.5 percent of total GGR.

The Pagcor CEO said the gaming sector was on track to achieve a US$7-billion GGR target for full-year 2025. 

“These numbers affirm the Philippines’ place as one of the fastest-growing and most important gaming markets in Asia,” Mr Tengco stated.

The official also emphasised the reforms that have been introduced to ensure a sustainable growth for the industry, adding that oversight must evolve to ensure the sector’s integrity and player protection. 

“The unprecedented and exponential growth of online gaming truly comes with success and revenues but, for us, our responsibility is to ensure that this sector’s growth comes not just with profit but with accountability, integrity and player protection,” Mr Tengco said.