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PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco,  during the Senate probe on illegal POGOS on July 10, 2024.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco,  during the Senate probe on illegal POGOS on July 10, 2024.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Senate probe on POGOs

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178756176440720240710-pagcor-tengco-senate-probe-MD4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco,  during the Senate probe on illegal POGOS on July 10, 2024.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco,  during the Senate probe on illegal POGOS on July 10, 2024.  <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation estimates its total income for the year will decline to around P87 billion from P106 billion in 2025. </p><p>Of that figure, P61 billion will be allocated to &quot;nation building.&quot;</p><p>During its budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations, PAGCOR reported a total income of P43.32 billion for the first half of 2026.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/8/goccs-remit-p147-billion-to-govt-coffers-1823">READ: GOCCs remit P147 billion to govt coffers</a></div><p>It attributes the downtrend to the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, and the unlinking of e-wallets from e-gambling sites, among others.</p><p>PAGCOR&#x27;s 2025 total income was also lower compared to its 2024 income of P111.7 billion.</p><p>&quot;Bumaba po ito, dahil effective noong 2025 ipinagbawal na po &#x27;yung POGOs. &#x27;Yan po ay nawalan po tayo, projected for 2025, mga P10B ang nawala sa atin noon, your honor,&quot; said PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro Tengco.</p><p>&quot;The delinking in September or towards the last quarter of last year of the e-wallets doon sa mga customers… after that was implemented, we experienced a downtrend of about 40% in gaming activities,&quot; he added.</p><p>While gaming activity rose again in the early part of 2026, the crisis in the Middle East had a negative impact on the market, Tengco also said. </p><p>PAGCOR saw an &quot;uptick&quot; in the number of tourists who patronize land-based casinos toward the end of July and early August. Tengco said if this continues, they expect to &quot;recover the weak revenue in the first half&quot; of the year.</p><p>House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Suansing pointed out that despite the projected P20 billion decline in PAGCOR&#x27;s total income for 2026, its expected contributions to nation building will decline by only 8.3%.</p><p>Tengco explained that this is partly due to the Supreme Court ruling mandating PAGCOR and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to remit a portion of their income for the funding of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/27/guiao-says-sc-decision-on-pagcor-pcso-remittances-cant-be-a-moral-victory-1613">READ: Guiao says SC decision on PAGCOR, PCSO remittances can&#x27;t be a &#x27;moral victory&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Ang kanila pong ruling, ang remittance po dapat ng PAGCOR ngayon sa Philippine Sports Commission, ay dapat po… 5% of our gross income,&quot; he said. &quot;Kasalukuyang nakikipag-usap kami sa Philippine Sports Commission, sapagkat ang pinababayaran, ayon sa desisyon ng Supreme Court, sa PAGCOR, sa Philippine Sports Commission, dahil retroactive &#x27;yung ruling ay humigit kumulang P37B.</p><p>&quot;At ito po, doon din sa ruling, after filing our motion for reconsideration na humihingi kami ng extended time for the payment, ang naging final decision po ay kailangan bayaran ng PAGCOR &#x27;yun sa loob ng sampung taon,&quot; he added.</p><p>To increase revenues, PAGCOR is implementing programs to get illegal gaming operators to register. Tengco said they also seek to boost special class BPOs.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ONLINE GAMING</strong></div><p>Around half of current online gaming operators are illegal, according to Tengco. But he noted that this figure is lower compared to the around 90% when he assumed his post.</p><p>&quot;With our reforms, with the structure we have set up, medyo nakaangat na po, at sa ngayon, ang aming paniwala ay halos tabla na po,&quot; he explained. &quot;Pero hindi pa po mahinto ang illegal online gaming operators, at ang masama rito, wala po sa Pilipinas sila. Sila po ay nasa abroad na gumagamit ng influencers na kababayan natin.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/12/pagcor-expresses-support-for-gregorio-s-sports-university-dream-1531">READ: Pagcor expresses support for Gregorio&#x27;s &#x27;sports university&#x27; dream</a></div><p>Meanwhile, at least 6,000 employees are expected to be affected by the plan to privatize Casino Filipino, according to Tengco.</p><p>He told lawmakers they will be provided with a regular retirement package and a special incentive package. Tengco said they will also seek to get some of the affected employees absorbed by the buyer.</p><p>PAGCOR projects to lose P6 billion from its Casino Filipino operations this year alone, according to Tengco.</p>

<p>The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation estimates its total income for the year will decline to around P87 billion from P106 billion in 2025.</p>

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation estimates its total income for the year will decline to around P87 billion from P106 billion in 2025.

PAGCOR sees decline in total income for 2026

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PAGCOR sees decline in total income for 2026

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 24, 2026 04:57 PM PHT

|

Updated August 25, 2026 12:29 AM PHT

Read More:

PAGCOR

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation

House Committee on Appropriations

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