PAGCOR releases new regulatory framework governing live-dealer studios streaming
Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has released its Accreditation Framework for Data Streaming Providers (DSP) – a framework that establishes the regulated pathway for Philippine live-dealer studios to stream gameplay feeds to gaming operators licensed in foreign jurisdictions.
This represents the latest significant move by PAGCOR to tighten regulations and increase oversight of the country’s rapidly expanding igaming sector. The regulator has in recent months implemented a new regulatory framework for B2B suppliers under which they must be fully accredited and announced a Minimum Guaranteed Fee to be paid by all licensed operators, aimed at solving issues of under declaration or misdeclaration of revenues.
The new Regulatory Framework for Data Streaming Providers prescribes the policies, standards and compliance requirements governing the accreditation, operation and supervision of entities engaged in the provision of data streaming services to legitimate gaming operators licensed abroad. This includes accreditation, fees, workforce requirements and ongoing compliance obligations.
PAGCOR said that, through the implementation of the framework, it aims to “enhance regulatory oversight of data streaming operations, mitigate risks associated with the misuse of streaming infrastructures for illegal or unauthorized activities, and uphold ethical conduct, transparency and operational integrity within the gaming support services sector.”
Essentially, the framework formalizes the live-dealer studio model that has served the offshore market and subjects it to PAGCOR oversight.
In a detailed analysis of the framework published Saturday, Manila law firm Arden Consult – widely regarded as a leading authority on Philippine gaming law – said the DSP framework reflects the same regulatory logic as PAGCOR’s Special Class BPO (SCBPO) regime in that both mandate a minimum 90% Filipino workforce, confine the accredited entity to servicing licensed operators abroad rather than engaging end-users directly, and place the entity under continuous PAGCOR scrutiny.
“The underlying policy is consistent: local talent, local facilities, foreign-licensed clients,” Arden said.
The law firm also highlighted that the DSP model should not be confused with the former POGO structure, under which foreign operators held PAGCOR licences to conduct their own gaming operations from the Philippines.
A DSP does not operate games or accept bets – it strictly provides live-streaming infrastructure to operators licensed in foreign jurisdictions.
“For the Philippines, the DSP framework represents another structured pathway for Filipino employment in the global gaming sector,” Arden wrote in its analysis, noting that it imposes a 90% Filipino workforce minimum across all positions, with foreign hires able to be increased only for highly specialized or proprietary functions but not to exceed 25% of total workforce.
“Live-dealer studios employ game presenters, camera and production crews, IT and network engineers, compliance staff, and studio managers – roles that draw on creative and technical skills beyond the traditional BPO profile.
“The framework also positions the Philippines as an exporter of its own gaming content. Among the permitted service categories are ‘specialty games’ – a classification that includes the Color Game, a traditional Filipino perya game in which players bet on the outcome of colored dice. Once confined to local fiestas and carnivals, the Color Game has been adapted into a live-streamed format now played internationally through PAGCOR-licensed platforms. It is a Philippine-created game with genuine global demand, and the DSP framework provides the regulated pathway for streaming it to licensed operators abroad.”
The DSP framework specifically applies to Philippine-incorporated entities that host live-dealer studios with physical tables, staff, and equipment on-site and stream the resulting content to licensed foreign operators.
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The Backstory
Why live-dealer oversight landed on PAGCOR’s desk now
Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR has spent the past 18 months rebuilding the rulebook for online gambling after a surge in domestic eGames and lingering fallout from unlicensed offshore operations. The new accreditation framework for data streaming providers is the latest step in that reset, designed to put live-dealer studios under direct supervision while clarifying that studios stream content only to operators licensed abroad, not to end users. It follows a string of policy moves to standardize B2B licensing, tighten payments, and police the gray market.
That arc began with a focus on suppliers. Earlier this year, legal advisors warned that any B2B company delaying compliance under PAGCOR’s new regime was “taking a huge risk.” Inside Asian Gaming reported that view as regulators pressed vendors to secure full accreditation or face penalties and loss of market access, underscoring a harder line on oversight across the value chain. See: B2B suppliers delaying accreditation taking a huge risk (Inside Asian Gaming).
The shift also reflects lessons from the Philippines’ former offshore model, where operators ran games from local bases and attracted scrutiny over illegal activity. PAGCOR’s current approach keeps studios and service firms onshore but limits them to serving licensed operators overseas, with the regulator monitoring staffing, security, and content integrity. That guardrail runs through PAGCOR’s newer frameworks for affiliates, system administrators, and streaming providers.
Rewriting the B2B map: affiliates, administrators, deposits
PAGCOR has moved to corral previously fragmented segments into a single accreditation spine. In a recent memorandum, the regulator outlined a registration regime for gaming affiliates and support service providers spanning payment gateways, marketing, customer service, KYC systems, and testing labs. The order reclassifies “gaming system service providers” as gaming system administrators and requires application fees and performance cash deposits, tightening accountability. Read: new regulatory framework for gaming affiliates and support providers.
At the same time, PAGCOR imposed a standardized floor on operator payments to the state. The regulator’s new minimum guaranteed fee for licensed online operators (Inside Asian Gaming) targets under declaration of revenues and is expected to drive market consolidation as weaker firms struggle to meet fixed obligations. For regulators, a predictable base fee simplifies auditing and limits the room for misreporting across a patchwork of products and wallets.
The streaming framework now slots into that architecture. By accrediting studio operators as data streaming providers, PAGCOR brings camera rooms, tables, presenters, and network infrastructure into scope, including workforce rules that prioritize Filipino hires. It makes the Philippines an exporter of gaming content and production services, but under a structure designed to separate broadcast from betting.
Payments shock and the push to relink e-wallets
One pivot point came in August when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ordered e-wallet providers to remove links to online gambling platforms within 48 hours. The central bank framed the move as a way to curb unauthorized transactions and sharpen monitoring of the sector. Inside Asian Gaming covered the directive and the political pressure around it: central bank orders removal of online gambling links from e-wallets (Inside Asian Gaming).
The delinking hit licensed eGames traffic and muddied the consumer journey. Without official wallet links, players could not easily distinguish between regulated and illegal sites, according to industry critics. PAGCOR later acknowledged a pronounced slowdown in income and a 40% to 50% drop in some lines as digital deposits fractured.
Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco has since tasked staff with a position paper to the central bank that details new safeguards and seeks restoration of wallet links to licensed platforms. In an interview at ICE Barcelona, he said the industry still set record GGR in 2025 despite the clampdown and previewed further B2B licensing moves and the minimum fee rollout. Coverage: PAGCOR preparing a case to restore e-wallet links.
Law-and-order lens: funding crackdowns, policing the perimeter
Regulatory tightening has been paired with enforcement. PAGCOR earmarked PHP50 million for the National Bureau of Investigation to pursue illegal gambling and identify banned offshore operators. The memorandum of agreement covers detainee costs and operational support as authorities step up raids and compliance checks. Details: PAGCOR adds PHP50 million to illegal gambling crackdown.
The move signals a perimeter strategy: make legal channels clearer and more controlled, then fund the tools to close off unlicensed paths. It also gives PAGCOR a firmer hand when asking the central bank to allow wallet relinking for compliant operators and service providers, positioning enforcement and consumer protection as prerequisites to payments normalization.
Responsible gambling as policy ballast
PAGCOR has tried to balance expansion with social safeguards as online play grows. Tengco has called for broader collaboration across regulators, operators, health professionals, and academics to reduce harm. The agency cites exclusion of minors, students, and government workers from venues, self-exclusion programs, and stricter ad rules as anchors of its approach. Read: PAGCOR chairman calls for collaboration to fight gambling addiction.
For the streaming framework, that context matters. Live studios blend fast-paced presentation with global reach, which can amplify risks if left unregulated. By accrediting studios, setting workforce standards, and tying accreditation to ongoing compliance, PAGCOR is attempting to contain those risks before volumes scale further and before more specialty content migrates online.
Global currents and local stakes
Live-dealer expansion is not unique to the Philippines. In the United States, Caesars and Evolution launched a co-branded live studio in Pennsylvania with table games and VIP formats streaming to phones statewide, pointing to the commercial pull of branded, real-time play. Coverage: Caesars partners with Evolution on a Pennsylvania live-dealer studio.
The Philippines’ bet is to export that production capability and content expertise at scale while keeping wagering offshore. The 90% Filipino staffing requirement channels employment into creative and technical roles, from presenters to network engineers, and sets guardrails for specialized foreign hires. Coupled with the minimum fee for operators and standardized B2B accreditation, PAGCOR is building a stack that can support compliance, protect tax take, and make a case to rebuild sanctioned payment rails.
The risk is execution. If accreditation backlogs build or enforcement lags, illegal operators will keep siphoning demand in a market where wallet links remain severed. But the streaming framework, affiliate rules, and NBI funding suggest PAGCOR is trying to sequence reforms so that legal supply hardens as the gray market shrinks. Whether the central bank relents on e-wallet relinking will be an early test of that strategy.
