The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has set July 31, 2026, as the definitive final deadline for B2B providers serving the domestic online gaming industry to fully comply with its new accreditation requirements.
The regulator also put in place a two-month interim period, starting May 31, for contracted providers that have already submitted formal applications to continue operating while their paperwork is being processed.
Interim Window for Registered Applicants
Under the newly enacted memo, providers that have successfully filed their applications may keep offering services to Gaming System Administrators (GSAs) during the interim period. PAGCOR stated the arrangement is meant to provide a clearer path forward as the industry adjusts to the new regulatory framework.
The memo, issued by PAGCOR’s I-Gaming Licensing and Regulation Group’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department, makes clear that any provider that fails to complete full accreditation by the July 31 deadline will face immediate decommissioning of its electronic gaming systems, online platforms, games, and equipment on August 1.
The memorandum sets out four strict requirements that must be completed by the deadline:
- Application Fee: Complete payment of the non-refundable fee.
- Probity Documentation: Submission of all documentary requirements, including an official probity check report.
- Ocular Inspection: Satisfactory results from an ocular inspection of the applicant’s facility and testing of its systems.
- Performance Deposit: The formal posting of the required performance cash deposit.
Industry Moves Toward Open Compliance
Tonet Quiogue, Chief Executive of Arden Consult, highlighted that the memo resolves major industry questions surrounding pipeline supply lines:
“B2B clients wanted to know whether they could keep servicing operators while their applications were still under review, while operator clients wanted to know whether they would face penalties for working with suppliers that had not yet been accredited. The memo resolves both issues. It also rewards companies that moved early, naming Light & Wonder and GLI as examples of providers that submitted applications from the start and treated the process seriously, while others waited to see how it would develop.
The last two weeks have seen a noticeable increase in B2B providers coming forward to begin applications. That reflects a growing acceptance of the rules, with operators now also pushing their suppliers to comply. GSAs are becoming more conservative in how they manage supply chains and are even refusing to enter new agreements until providers can show proof of compliance.”
Quiogue noted that PAGCOR is also warning GSAs that they could face direct sanctions if they work with non-compliant B2B providers:
“Operators now have their own incentive to check the accreditation status of each partner in their supply chain. That makes the framework a two-sided compliance system that will reshape how commercial relationships are managed going forward.”
PAGCOR first released details of its new regulatory framework last year and has since introduced a series of measures intended to tighten oversight, including the Minimum Guaranteed Fee, an Accreditation Framework for Data Streaming Providers, and a cap on player rebate programs.
