Philippines
The state-owned and controlled Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation [PAGCOR] is the sole authorized gambling operator in the Philippines. The company operates casinos, bingo, sports betting and betting exchanges online and through brick-and-mortar establishments.
In 2000, PAGCOR authorized the Sports and Games Entertainment Corp as the exclusive operator of the Philippines' only online casino. The company launched www.sagecasino.com in August of 2000 while facing opposition from the Philippine government. In 2001, the online gaming industry was nearly shut down by the President of the Philippines, but Internet gaming survived the incident due to the leader’s impeachment in the same year.
In 2002, the government opened its Internet gaming industry to competition when it granted Philweb Corporation control of online casinos. Philweb works in cooperation with PAGCOR to regulate and tax online gaming sites based in the Philippines.
PAGCOR also offers franchised e-gaming cafés. Operators can choose between a rented space or a modular café.
