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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has proposed new payment-integrity requirements covering merchant payment arrangements in the Philippines, including stricter controls on layered payment structures, greater identification of merchants and ultimate recipients, and the establishment of a centralized national QR-code merchant database. The proposed rules would amend the BSP’s Manual of Regulations for Payment Systems and apply to BSP-supervised institutions, payment system

A proposed nationwide prohibition on gambling advertising in the Philippines could place the greatest burden on licensed gaming operators while doing little to curb promotional activity by offshore and illegal gambling platforms, according to two gaming lawyers. Russell Stanley Geronimo, founder of Geronimo Law, told AGB that legislation enacted at the national level could establish advertising restrictions extending beyond operators licensed by the Philippine Amusement and G

The Philippine gambling industry could face a major transformation in how licensed operators attract and retain customers if a proposed law imposing sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising is approved. Senate Bill No. 2347, known as the proposed Gambling Advertising Prohibition Act, would significantly restrict the ability of gambling companies to promote their products across traditional media, digital platforms, social networks and sponsorship arrangements. The propos

Hong Kong-listed International Entertainment Corporation (IEC) is moving into the Philippine online gaming sector after one of its subsidiaries entered into a cooperation agreement with Total Gamezone Xtreme Incorporated (TGXI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Philippine gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp. According to a filing submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, New Coast Leisure Inc. (NCLI), an indirect subsidiary of IEC and the operator of LaVie Resort & Casin

The Philippine gaming sector posted total gross gaming revenues (GGR) of PHP396.14 billion ($6.61 billion) in 2025, reflecting a 6.39 percent increase from PHP372.33 billion ($6.21 billion) recorded in 2024, according to a press release issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). This overall growth was largely fueled by strong performance in the online and electronic gaming segment, which more than compensated for declining revenues from traditional

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has raised concerns over the growing impact of escalating oil prices on the country’s gaming industry, pointing to ongoing tensions in the Middle East as a key driver behind the surge in fuel costs. According to PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco, these developments are already influencing both operational performance and consumer spending patterns, two critical pillars of the sector’s stability. Addressing att

The Philippine government is considering a possible ban on Telegram as authorities intensify efforts to combat illegal online activities, including unauthorized gambling operations and sexual exploitation, that have allegedly proliferated on the messaging platform. According to a report by Manila Bulletin, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) confirmed that it is evaluating the option of blocking access to Telegram following reports that illicit

The Philippines’ highest-ranking law enforcement official has thrown his full support behind a renewed nationwide effort to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, following a directive issued earlier this month by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. On 12 February, Marcos instructed “concerned government agencies and instrumentalities” to work in close coordination with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to implement an updated national strategy aimed at curbing il