Industry warns Philippine regulator against overregulation
As the Philippines continues to carve out a regulated igaming market, local operators are concerned that the clampdown on payments platforms and advertising could hinder progress.
Speaking at IAG Expo 2025 in Manila last week, Casino Plus Chief Executive Evan Spytma raised concern over the restrictions placed on e-wallets, GCash and Maya, arguing they had been a safe means for players to access legal casinos.
“We just blocked GCash and Maya, which, if you want to go by protecting the player, these were the two most safe channels in all the Philippines, they have double KYC. You have to basically do your KYC, then create the account, and then enter the casino,” he said.
“Everything was confirmed and safe and only legal operators were allowed on those channels. And now, what did we do? We block them. Kick all the players out into the internet, out into the wolves. They have no idea what is a legal site. So, I think we need to refocus […] let’s focus on the real channels that are safe for the players and can abide by all regulations.”
Casino Plus is licensed by the Philippine gambling regulator PAGCOR, streaming color game, live dealer, slots and sports. It is deemed to be a PIGO, a Philippine inland gaming operator, which – unlike the now banned POGOs – is a licensed operator able to offer online gaming linked to a land-based operation.
PIGOs must adhere to strict rules around KYC, defined eligibility criteria for players, payments security, and anti-money laundering protocols. Spytma’s concern is that as the regulator clamps down on areas such as payments methods and advertising, players will be unclear on which remote gaming platforms are legal, and which are unregulated and offshore.
“What you’ve seen is a blocking of GCash and Maya and an inability to now market to the public,” he said.
Light & Wonder Vice President of Commercial Magdalena Podhorska-Okolow was also on the panel, having announced earlier in the week that Light & Wonder had become the first PAGCOR-licensed e-gaming supplier in the Philippines.
Podhorska-Okolow said there was a distinct difference between operators that would recognize a benefit in moving to the regulated market, compared to those that only ever planned to “get rich quick”. “To prepare a platform for a regulated market, to add in the technical requirements to have deposit limits etcetera, that’s a big undertaking,” she explained. “And a lot of these operators probably never thought that they want to play in that space. So, it will be very interesting to watch how the Philippine market stabilizes.”
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