Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR): What You Need to Know

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is a 100 percent government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC). It is the Philippine government’s largest revenue contributor next to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC). Its main purpose is to regulate, operate, authorize, and license games, gaming pools, and casinos in the country.

Also Read: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): What You Need to Know

Since it was established, PAGCOR has continuously evolved, though it kept up with its mandate to put a stop to the illegally operating casinos and gaming pools in various parts of the country. Through the years, PAGCOR has established numerous programs and offered various services to Filipinos nationwide. This guide is meant to help you if you wish to learn more about what PAGCOR is and what it does, as well as the available programs and services it offers.

what is pagcor philippine amusement and gaming corporation

What is PAGCOR?

PAGCOR stands for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. It’s a GOCC created in 1986 in a bid to stop illegal casino operations in the country. Later on, the corporation was restructured so it will generate funds through licensing and establishment of casinos and gaming pools to help fund socio-civic and national development programs and promote Philippine tourism projects.

History

PAGCOR was created during the Martial Law years by virtue of a Presidential Decree (PD 1067-A). It was originally created to regulate illegal casino operations but after it’s establishment, it joined hands with the Philippine Casino Operators Corporation (PCOC) to operate a floating casino in the Manila Bay.

In 1983, PAGCOR became the sole government corporation tasked with conducting and establishing gaming pools and casinos in the country. In 1986, it was reorganized to help the government raise funds. In 2007, the state-run gaming firm got its operation extended by 25 years with the option to renew for another 25 years.

To date, the corporation operates nine (9) casinos and 35 satellite casinos in major cities across the country. There are also numerous income-generating projects and games, along with the casinos which help finance various government agencies, community development projects, sports development programs, and compensation support for victims of wrongful detention and prosecution.

Mission

PAGCOR purposefully serve the Filipinos by carrying out the following mission:

  • To create an environment that helps Philippine gaming and entertainment industry develop
  • To be a responsible and responsive stakeholder in the Philippine government’s nation-building programs
  • To establish and enforce a regulatory framework that preserves the integrity of the Philippine gaming industry

Vision

The roadmap of PAGCOR’s operations are intended to have it generating 12.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2028 to help the country become the leading authority in the ASEAN region and increase its role as a major partner in nation-building.

Core Values

PAGCOR’s operation is guided by the following core values:

  • Integrity – PAGCOR exhibits this by their firm adherence to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry.
  • Accountability – PAGCOR ensures that they remain accountable for everything, by carrying out open and transparent business dealings with all their stakeholders.
  • Social Responsibility – Giving back for nation-building
  • Customer Service Excellence – Upholding the highest global standards in customer service and satisfying the needs of our customers at all times
  • Teamwork – Each member contributes one’s talents and skills to achieve a common goal

PAGCOR Charter: Functions and Responsibilities

Under its Charter, PAGCOR was given the following mandate:

  • Regulate, operate, authorize, and license games of chance, games of cards and games of numbers, and casino gaming in the Philippines;
  • Generate revenues for the Philippine government’s socio-civic and national development programs; and
  • Help promote the Philippine tourism industry.

Later on, in June 2007, the PAGCOR Charter was amended to include the following mandate:

  • Enter into agreements, including joint venture, with any person, firm, association, or corporation.
  • Obtain consent of the local government authority that has territorial jurisdiction over the chosen sites for PAGCOR operations.
  • Exclude jai alai from PAGCOR operations; and
  • Set boundaries on the corporation’s regulatory authority and power over gaming activities covered by other existing franchises, regulatory bodies, or special laws.

    pagcor logo
    PAGCOR Logo

PAGCOR Casinos

As part of its mandate, PAGCOR operates casino branches, collectively known as Casino Filipino in major cities well-known for its popularity as tourist destinations.

Casino Filipino branches are strategically located in the following areas:

Metro Manila

  • Casino Filipino Malate
  • Casino Filipino Ronquillo

Luzon

  • Casino Filipino Angeles
  • Casino Filipino Ilocos Norte
  • Casino Filipino Olongapo
  • Casino Filipino Tagaytay

Visayas & Mindanao

  • Casino Filipino Bacolod
  • Casino Filipino Cebu
  • Casino Filipino Davao

PAGCOR also operates 35 satellite casinos in the following cities:

Metro Manila

  • Binondo Satellite
  • Citystate Satellite
  • Grandz Satellite
  • Madison Satellite
  • Malabon Satellite
  • Manila Grand Opera Satellite
  • Midas Satellite
  • Networld Satellite
  • Pan Pacific Satellite
  • Sofitel Satellite
  • Tropicana Las Piñas Satellite
  • Tropicana Sta. Mesa Satellite

Luzon

  • Biñan Satellite
  • Calamba Satellite
  • Capital Satellite
  • Carmona Satellite
  • Greenery Satellite
  • Kartini Satellite
  • Leisure World Satellite
  • Mimosa Satellite
  • Oriental Pavilion Satellite
  • Sta. Rosa Satellite
  • San Pedro Satellite
  • Subic Yacht Club Satellite
  • Venezia Satellite

Visayas & Mindanao

  • Apo View Satellite
  • Crown Regency Satellite
  • Fuente Osmeña Satellite
  • General Santos Satellite
  • Iloilo Satellite
  • Mactan Satellite
  • Mactan Isla Satellite
  • Opol Satellite
  • Parkmall Satellite
  • Tagum Satellite

PAGCOR Earning Allotments

As per the corporation’s Charter and other governing laws, PAGCOR earnings are distributed as follows:

  • 5 percent of winnings goes to the BIR as franchise tax;
  • 50 percent of the 95 percent balance goes to the National Treasury as the National Government’s mandated income share;
  • Cities that host PAGCOR casinos are given a fixed amount for their community development projects;
  • PAGCOR pays Corporate Income Tax in compliance with the National Internal Revenue Code;
  • 5 percent of the balance after the franchise tax and the National Government’s mandated income share goes to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to help finance sports development programs;
  • 1 percent of the net income goes to the Board of Claims, an agency under the Department of Justice (DOJ), which compensates victims of wrongful detention and prosecution;

Aside from these, PAGCOR has also been tapped to provide funds for the implementation of vital laws, including:

  • Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 – The funds help in the establishment, maintenance, and operation of drug rehabilitation centers in the country.
  • Sports Incentives and Benefits Act – PAGCOR provides monetary rewards to athletes who win in international sports competitions.
  • RA 9153 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 – At present, PAGCOR is coordinating with Department of Energy (DOE) to finalize the allotment of 1.5% of PAGCOR’s annual net income to implement RA 9153.
  • Social Fund – This will be taken out of the remaining balance of PAGCOR’s income and is to be used to sustain the priority projects of the Office of the President.
  • RA 7656 or the Dividend Law – As per the law, PAGCOR remits at least 50% of its annual net earnings as cash, stock, or property to serve as dividends to the National Government.

PAGCOR Programs and Services

Apart from its mandatory contributions to various agencies and government entities, PAGCOR also participates as a nation-building partner to the Philippine government via their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

The said CSR projects are as follows:

Disaster Relief Operations

PAGCOR offers disaster relief in the form of immediate response to victims of calamity and natural disasters. The support usually comes in the form of relief packs. These relief packs can either be food packs containing rice, canned goods and other grocery items, or non- food packs containing blankets, mosquito nets, slippers and hygiene kits. They are usually delivered to affected families by the agency’s volunteer employees.

Multi-purpose Evacuation Centers (MPEC)

As part of the government’s long-term response to climate change, PAGCOR allocated Php 2 billion (Php 50 million apiece) for the construction of 32 multi-purpose evacuation centers (MPEC) in 31 typhoon-prone provinces.

These provinces include:

  • San Andres, Quezon;
  • Romblon;
  • Zamboanga del Sur;
  • Taguidin, Ilocos Sur;
  • Tadian, Mountain Province;
  • Legazpi City, Albay;
  • Ligao, Albay;
  • Ocampo Camarines Sur;
  • Tigaon, Camarines Sur;
  • San Jose, Camarines Sur;
  • Sagnay, Camarines Sur;
  • San Fernando, Pampanga;
  • Floridablanca, Pampanga; and
  • Tapaz, Capiz

Covid-19 Assistance

To help cushion the impact of COVID-19 pandemic impact in the country, PAGCOR, along with Entertainment City and Clark casino licensees and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), donated Php 65.33 million worth of relief packs (food and nonfood items) to frontliners and various local government units in Luzon that suffered heavy economic losses due to the crisis.

Support for Filipino Athletes

PAGCOR fueled the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) which was hosted by the Philippines in December 2019 by donating Php 842.50 million to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Php 200 million financial grant to the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, and P123.30 million total benefits and incentives to the winning national athletes and coaches in the 30th SEA Games and other international sporting events in 2019. It was meant to be used to rehabilitate key SEAGames venues, to support the country’s staging of the regional multi-sports event, and to incentivize the athletes to work hard and make their country proud.

Medical Assistance

PAGCOR also supports the promotion of health programs by funding state-run hospitals and offering funding support for other health-related facility construction and equipment upgrades. The corporation also offers programs that are intended to support the less privileged in paying for hospitalization and other medical needs.

Pamaskong Handog ng PAGCOR

PAGCOR also promotes Christmas cheer by funding gift-giving initiatives directed towards the vulnerable sector including senior citizens, informal settlers, and farmers.

PAGCOR Village

In one of its latest projects, PAGCOR funded housing and shelter programs for the less privileged who became homeless or were displaced by natural calamities like volcanic eruptions.

Handog Computer Program

One other program that PAGCOR funded includes the purchase of computer units for distribution to public schools. The project was designed to support the fundamental educational needs of underprivileged students nationwide.

School Kits for Kids

The School Kits for Kids Project is a PAGCOR-funded program aimed to help the less fortunate public school elementary students get the school supplies their parents could not afford. The school kits were built and distributed to public school students nationwide.

School Building Project

Dubbed as “Matuwid na Daan sa Silid-Aralan” project, this school-building program is being carried out by PAGCOR in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The project was specially designed to address the perennial problem of classroom shortage in the country.

Brigada Eskwela

Since 2012, PAGCOR, through their employees, has been actively taking part in the “Brigada Eskwela” project in response to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) invitation for various sectors to support the initiatives of the Annual National Schools Maintenance Week nationwide.

Feeding Program

The PAGCOR Feeding Program, like every other feeding program, is a program designed to help provide the nutritional needs of underweight children by offering nourishing food to malnourished and undernourished students daily until they reach the ideal weight. In particular, this project was intended to help those who are enrolled in community-based day care centers and public elementary schools in cities hosting Casino Filipino branches.

Kasibulan Grassroot Football

The “Kasibulan” Grassroots Football is a nationwide athletic development program initiated by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). The program was carried out with the financial backing of PAGCOR in a bid to help promote the sport of football among children aged 6 to 12 years old and produce potential talents who will represent the country in future international football competitions.

Pinoy Bayanihan

Launched in March 2011, PAGCOR also initiated the “Pinoy Bayanihan” project—a collaborative program between the agency, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) meant to help eradicate the backlog of school chairs and furniture in public schools nationwide. The program was meant to manufacture thousands of armchairs from illegal logs confiscated by the DENR, as well as provide training and livelihood opportunities to communities where production sites are located.

Kapit-Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig

PAGCOR also offers funding to support the “Kapit-Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig”—a program intended to help rehabilitate the Estero de Paco, Paco Market, and Pasig River. The financial support donated for this project is, in part, a realization of PAGCOR’s advocacy on the preservation of the environment.

Old slot machine stands converted into school desks

PAGCOR is perhaps the only casino operator in the world that makes use of discarded parts of its old slot machine stands to help produce functional school desks. The old wooden stands of the slot machines from Casino Filipino branches in Metro Manila were collected and fabricated to create two-seater and three-seater desks.

Video: Lingkod sa Bayan ng PAGCORian

To learn more about how PAGCOR supports the community, you may watch this video posted by PAGCORPH on Youtube.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you have any questions regarding PAGCOR, here’s a list of the frequently asked questions and answers below.

1. What is PAGCOR?

PAGCOR is one of the long-standing GOCC in the country. It is the agency in charge of regulating, operating, authorizing, and licensing games of chance, games of cards, and games of numbers, and other casino gaming operations, generating revenues for the government’s socio-civic and national development programs; and promoting the tourism industry in various parts of the country.

2. What are the major responsibilities of PAGCOR?

PAGCOR is the main regulatory body for all casino and gaming operations nationwide. Other than that, its other main function is to generate funds to finance other agencies and some of its own initiatives to support the Filipino people.

3. How does PAGCOR help the country?

PAGCOR helps the country in various ways including the financing of various agencies and offering funds to their self-initiated projects.

4. How do I ask for PAGCOR financial assistance?

To request for financial and medical assistance from PAGCOR, interested availees must submit the following requirements online (for those living in NCR) or via the drop boxes available in PAGCOR Offices:

  • Signed request letter addressed to Chairman Andrea Domingo or PAGCOR;
  • Medical abstract;
  • Social case study;
  • Photocopy of valid government IDs of patient and relative of patient;
  • Contact numbers;
  • Email address; and
  • Proof of assistance from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) – Certified True Copy of Guarantee Letter or Index Card.

To follow-up on the status of the request, the requesting parties must submit the following:

  • A photocopy of their PCSO Index Card/Guarantee Letter with the patient’s name, contact number, and exact date of submission of request

5. How do I register as a supplier with PAGCOR?

To register as a PAGCOR supplier, you will need to submit the following requirements and get a Registration certificate.

PAGCOR Registration Requirements for Local Suppliers

Basic Documentary Requirements:

  • PAGCOR Application for Registration Form
  • Company Profile including list of clients
  • List of products/items being offered including brochures and catalogs (if any)
  • Detailed location sketch of company office, factory and/or warehouse

Legal Documents:

  • Certified True/Machine Copy of Registration Certificate from:
    • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including Articles of Incorporation / Co-Partnership and By-Laws or
    • Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
  • Photocopy of the following documents:
    • Valid and current Mayor’s Permit / municipal license
    • BIR Registration Certificate
    • Valid or current Certificate of Dealership/Exclusive Distributorship (if applicable)
    • Valid Certificate of PhilGEPS Registration
    • Valid and current Licenses required by law (applicable to your line of business)

Financial Documents:

  • Certified True Copy of Income Tax Return for the year 2012 or 2011 and its corresponding audited Financial Statements, stamped “received” by the BIR or its duly accredited & authorized agency of firm including photocopy of 2010 ITR and AFS..

Other Requirements:

  • Certification from the supplier/contractor that all proposals to be submitted to PAGCOR are VAT exclusive (3 copies)
  • Tax Clearance Certificate – issued by the Collection Enforcement Division of the BIR National Office.

PAGCOR Registration Requirements for Foreign Suppliers

Basic Documentary Requirements:

  • PAGCOR Application for Registration Form
  • Company Profile including list of clients (in English)
  • List of products/items being offered including brochures and catalogs (if any)

Legal Documents:

  • Registration Certificate from:
    • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including Articles of Incorporation / Co-Partnership and By-Laws or
    • Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
  • Valid and current Mayor’s Permit / municipal license
  • Photocopy of valid and current Certificate of Dealership/Exclusive Distributorship (if applicable)

Financial Documents:

  • Income Tax Return for the year 2010, 2011 & 2012 and its corresponding Audited Financial Statements, stamped “received” by the BIR or its duly accredited & authorized agency of firm.
  • Valid Certificate of PhilGEPS Registration (log on to http://www.philgeps.net to register your company)
  • For public bidding, a valid Delinquency Verification from the Bureau of  Internal Revenue (BIR) National Office.

Summary

You may think that PAGCOR is all about gambling, gaming, and having fun while wasting money, but it’s not all just that. It is a government-owned corporation specially designed to regulate gaming dens and casinos while generating funds to finance government agencies and support tourism initiatives. PAGCOR also has its own CSR projects, directly offering support to institutions and individuals who need them.

Sure, some people may think that casinos and gambling affect people negatively, but PAGCOR, as a regulatory body, ensures that the earnings they generate from seasoned and newbie gamblers also help support nation-building initiatives and other developmental projects in the country. While we don’t support unhealthy gambling, the casinos that PAGCOR operates are part of something good that the community also enjoys.

Contact Information

In case you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to PAGCOR directly via the following:

PAGCOR Executive Office

5F New Coast Hotel Manila, 1588 MH Del Pilar cor. Pedro Gil Streets, Malate Manila Philippines 1004

+632 8242-0121

PAGCOR Main Corporate Office

IMET BPO Tower, CBP-1A, Metropolitan Park, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, 1300, Manila Philippines

+632 8522-0299 | 8522-1357 | 8522-1245 | 8522-1324

PAGCOR Corporate Office Annex

Carmen Building, 1105 United Nations Ave cor. Ma. Orosa Streets, Ermita Manila Philippines 1000

+632 8526-0337

PAGCOR Imus Complex

363 Bayan Luma VI, Imus, Cavite 4103

PAGCOR MIA Complex

Nayong Pilipino Theme Park, MIA Road, Pasay City 1301

Email address: info@pagcor.ph

Official website: www.pagcor.ph