PAGCOR is both referee and player
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation regulates gambling and also operates casinos of its own, an arrangement that is unusual and much debated.
The casino age is 21, higher than most of Asia, while lotteries and other betting are 18.
One rule catches people out: students of any school, college or university in the Philippines are prohibited from playing in PAGCOR-operated casinos, regardless of their age.
The POGO era, and the law that ended it
For years the Philippines licensed offshore operators, POGOs, to serve players in other countries from Philippine soil. That is over, and it was closed deliberately rather than left to lapse.
President Marcos announced the ban in his State of the Nation address on 22 July 2024. Executive Order 74 followed in November, requiring every offshore operation to stop by 31 December 2024 and barring new licences or renewals. Ten months later the ban was written into statute: Republic Act 12312, the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, signed on 23 October 2025, which made it a criminal matter rather than a policy that a later administration could quietly reverse. PAGCOR can no longer license offshore gaming at all.
What survives is domestic and deliberately tethered: the PIGO regime, an online licence anchored to a land-based venue and geo-fenced to players inside the country, requiring PHP 100 million in capital and carrying a 30% regulatory fee. If you read that a Philippine licence covers offshore players, that guidance is out of date by more than a year.
None of this touches a visitor playing in a casino in Manila. The resorts in Entertainment City were never POGOs, and they are unaffected.
Entertainment City
Manila's Entertainment City is a purpose-built resort district holding integrated resorts on a scale that rivals Macau and Las Vegas, including Okada Manila and Solaire.
It is also the home of PokerStars Live Manila and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, where buy-ins sit well below the European tours.
Our Manila guide covers the resorts.
Cities covered
Before you play anywhere
Two numbers travel better than any local rule. Our house edge entry explains why games that look alike are priced very differently, and true odds is the comparison that prices any bet in seconds.
Set a budget before you sit down. Our responsible gaming page covers deposit limits and self-exclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the legal gambling age in Philippines?
- 21 for casinos. 18 for lotteries and other betting.
- Are gambling winnings taxed in Philippines?
- Collected at the operator.
- Who regulates gambling in Philippines?
- Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
- When was this checked?
- Against legal and regulatory sources in August 2026. Gambling law changes, so confirm before relying on it for anything significant.
Ages, tax treatment and regulators on this page were checked against legal and regulatory sources in August 2026. Gambling law changes and treatment differs between products and between recreational and professional players, so this is general information and not tax or legal advice. On a large result, take proper advice rather than a web page.