Manila: The Philippine gaming industry recorded PHP94.51 billion in gross gaming revenues (GGR) during the third quarter of 2025, reflecting a slight decrease from the PHP94.61 billion reported last year. The industry’s performance comes as it navigates online reforms and stricter regulations on digital payments.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) highlighted that the Electronic Games (E-Games) segment continued to lead in performance, showing a 17.4 percent increase to PHP41.95 billion from PHP35.71 billion year on year. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco attributed this growth mainly to robust figures from July 2025, noting a decline in August and September revenues due to the mandatory delinking of e-wallets from legitimate gaming platforms.
Tengco stated that these figures indicate an industry adjusting to essential safeguards. He emphasized that the delinking of e-wallets led to a temporary reduction in activity towards the end of the quarter but stressed that these measures are crucial to safeguarding players and ensuring secure, transparent transactions.
Tengco also expressed concern over the rise of illegal online gaming sites, which do not adhere to responsible gaming standards, evade taxes, and expose players to data theft and fraud. He urged the public to avoid such unauthorized platforms and to engage only with PAGCOR-licensed sites.
Beyond E-Games, all other gaming segments experienced a decline in earnings during the third quarter. PAGCOR-operated casinos saw an 11.6 percent drop from PHP3.64 billion to PHP3.22 billion, while licensed casinos fell 10.2 percent from PHP50.72 billion to PHP45.56 billion. Bingo revenues also decreased by 16.2 percent, from PHP4.52 billion to PHP3.79 billion.
In terms of GGR share, PAGCOR-operated gaming venues accounted for 3.4 percent, licensed casinos contributed 48.2 percent, E-Games made up 44.4 percent, and bingo operations comprised 4 percent of the GGR during the quarter.
Despite the declines in some gaming segments and the ongoing adjustments in the digital payment landscape, Tengco remains optimistic. He believes the industry will regain momentum as players adapt to the new e-wallet protocols and authorities intensify enforcement against illegal gambling sites.
