Legislation
Philippines – PAGCOR to allow casinos in Entertainment City to offer online gambling
By Phil - 4 November 2020
Solaire, City of Dreams Manila, and Okada Manila will be able to offer gambling online to help casinos in Manila’s Entertainment City survive the downturn in trade due to the coronavirus pandemic.
PAGCOR’ President Alfredo Lim informed Bloomberg that it had approved applications from the three casinos to offer ‘betting through the internet.’
The Department of Finance (DOF) has confirmed there will be no difference in taxation between land-based casinos offering online gaming and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said: “The tax treatment is the same for online gambling whether onshore or offshore, for as long as the operator is a licensee of Pagcor.”
With Philippine casinos only allowed to operate at 30 per cent capacity, revenues have dropped by more than 90 per cent.
PAGCOR has yet to reveal any more detail on what operators will able to do online, including whether they will be able to offer play to Filipino residents.
