The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has set a December 2026 target to launch a mobile application aimed at helping players identify licensed online gambling platforms and avoid illegal gaming websites. The app, approved by PAGCOR’s Board of Directors on October 8, 2026, represents the regulator’s latest effort to combat the proliferation of illegal gambling websites throughout the country and to better protect players using licensed platforms.
What the PAGCOR Verification App Will Do
The app aims to distinguish between licensed gambling websites and illegal ones. It also aims to help protect players who use operators licensed and regulated by PAGCOR. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco explained that players using regulated operators have a mechanism for seeking resolution in case of disputes.
PAGCOR Targets December 2026 Launch
Tengco initially proposed the app in August 2026 during a House budget hearing, specifying a 2026 launch. On October 19, PAGCOR announced a December 2026 target after the Board of Directors approved the app’s development and implementation, including DCI’s proposed role in developing, hosting, maintaining and technically supporting the app.
Who Will Develop and Operate the App?
Proposed Partnership With DCI
PAGCOR has proposed a five-year partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center, Inc. (DCI), renewable by mutual written agreement. The development bank’s data center subsidiary will carry out all app development and provide technical support at no cost to PAGCOR.
Technical Testing and Data Protection
The partnership is subject to a six-month technical assessment of the app’s minimum viable product. DCI will submit a proof of concept to PAGCOR, which will evaluate the app’s features, architecture, security and feasibility.
The partnership must comply with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 and applicable cybersecurity laws, and will include data-sharing and security provisions. PAGCOR can terminate the arrangement if DCI does not address identified deficiencies within a reasonable timeframe. Regulatory approval is only one part of assessing a gambling platform. Portalapuesta.com illustrates the distinction in Mexico, comparing operators’ payment options and bonus restrictions while identifying cases where a foreign licence does not constitute a Mexican SEGOB permit.
Why PAGCOR Is Introducing the App
In an announcement published by PAGCOR on August 25, 2026, Tengco estimated that about 50% of online gaming websites accessed in the Philippines are illegal. To reduce illegal gambling, PAGCOR is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) to combat illegal online gambling operations.
How Players Can Currently Verify Licensed Casinos
In June 2025, PAGCOR launched the PAGCOR Guarantee, a website listing licensed online gambling operators and providing links to those websites. The PAGCOR Guarantee is an existing channel for identifying regulated online casinos, separate from the planned app. Licensing information is also jurisdiction-specific. Some casinos reviewed on casinosicher.com hold foreign licences without German GGL authorisation, illustrating why a licence from one jurisdiction does not automatically permit gambling services in another.
What Happens Next?
PAGCOR and DCI will conduct a six-month proof-of-concept assessment before full-scale implementation, at the end of which PAGCOR will either approve the app for full-scale implementation, request changes, or terminate the partnership. Under the proposed arrangement, DCI will assume development, hosting, and maintenance responsibilities, with PAGCOR providing regulatory oversight and evaluating the app’s performance.