E-gambling operators must pay minimum guaranteed fee

MANILA, Philippines — State gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) will start collecting a minimum guaranteed fee (MGF) per month on all accredited online gambling operators next year.

In a Dec. 15 memorandum, PAGCOR said all of its online gaming system administrators (GSAs) and gaming venue operators (GVOs) operating e-games will be charged the monthly MGF based on their minimum gross gaming revenue (GGR) per month.

“In order to address the gaps in the current fee structure and uphold the principles of fairness, accountability and fiscal responsibility, please be informed that the PAGCOR’s Board of Directors approved in its meeting on 04 December 2025 the implementation of a Minimum Guaranteed Fee per month,” PAGCOR electronic gaming licensing head Jessa Mariz Fernandez said in the memo.

During the first tranche of MGF implementation from April 1 to Sept. 30, 2026, GSAs with electronic casino games and generate a minimum P30 million GGR a month will be charged P9 million monthly MGF, while GSAs without electronic casino games and earn a minimum P15 million GGR a month will have to pay a monthly MGF of P3 million.

In the second tranche of implementation from Oct.1, 2026 onwards, GSAs with electronic casino games that generate a minimum monthly GGR of P35 million will be required to pay a monthly MGF of P10.5 million, while those without electronic casino games and earn a GGR per month of 20 million have to pay an MGF of P4 million a month.

In the latest updated list of accredited GSAs and “Registered Brand and Sub-Brands” issued by PAGCOR last Dec. 4, there were as much as 65 GSAs.

PAGCOR’s accredited GSAs remit a share of their GGRs as a requirement for their accreditation or authority to operate.

“The imposition of the MGF shall take effect on all transactions commencing April 1, 2026, for GSAs with operational status,” Fernandez said in the memo.