The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) has begun shutting down its licensed online gambling operations in keeping with President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders.
On Friday, PAGCOR boss Andrea Domingo attended a media forum in the Clark Freeport Zone where she announced that her agency had revoked 124 eGames permits for regulatory violations. Domingo said the licenses of 302 eGames and 324 eBingo outlets wouldn’t be renewed and no further licenses would be issued.
Local media quoted Domingo saying the shutdown of PAGCOR’s eGames operations is expected to cost the state-owned agency big-time, as eGames contribute up to P9b (US $191m) to PAGCOR’s annual revenue. PAGCOR is the largest contributor to government revenue among all state-owned entities.
eGames venues contain digital terminals offering a variety of online gambling options, including casino, video poker and lottery games. The number of eGames outlets underwent rapid growth in recent years, quintupling to 12k since 2010.