PAGCOR denies licensing China-facing operators

Tuesday 14th of May 2019

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has denied claims that its licensed operators and services providers are targeting Chinese nationals from China.

In a press statement, the gaming regulator stated that its licensees target only Chinese-speaking individuals, who hail from countries other than China, where online gambling is illegal.

The press statement marks one of the first times the gaming regulator has addressed accusations that it has been licensing companies known to offer services to Chinese nationals.

In a press statement, PAGCOR reiterated that it upholds strict adherence to local laws to which its licensed operators and accredited service providers operate in.

“The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) would like to emphasize that unlike in China, where online gambling is illegal, the Philippines legally allows online gaming offered only to offshore based players where online gaming is allowed in their jurisdiction,” said the regulator in a statement.

In its statement, the gaming regulator also addressed the influx of Chinese workers in the gaming industry, stating that these workers are for the benefit of Chinese speaking players that are based in countries outside of China.

“Considering that a considerable number of offshore gaming players are Chinese speaking but based in countries other than China, many offshore gaming firms operating in the Philippines hire Chinese-speaking customer service providers to cater to the unique needs of their clientele.”

“In fact, PAGCOR, together with its partner agencies will issue a circular which will ensure that the Chinese workers in the Philippines will not take away the employment opportunities of Filipinos in their own country,” it added.

The regulator says it will work collaboratively with other government agencies to uphold the integrity of gaming in the country.