Philippines PAGCOR is building a mobile app to check online gambling licences, with launch set for December

PAGCOR, the Philippines’ gambling regulator, is preparing a mobile app that will let players verify whether an online betting platform holds an official licence. For high-risk operators and PSPs, that matters because the app is aimed at steering users away from illegal sites and giving the regulator a cleaner way to point to the licensed list.

1. The app will let players identify which online gambling platforms are authorised by PAGCOR and which are not. PAGCOR said on Monday that the tool is meant to strengthen its efforts to protect the public from illegal gambling on the internet.
2. PAGCOR president and chief executive Alejandro Tengco said the platform will provide a reliable way to verify licences. “We want the public to make informed decisions and avoid falling victim to illegal operators,” he said.
3. The timeline was already public. At IAG EXPO in Manila in September, the regulator said the app would arrive in the fourth quarter of the year. The current plan is for launch in December.
4. PAGCOR’s Board approved the development and rollout of the app on 8 October, including a proposed collaboration with Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center, Inc. (DCI), subject to applicable laws and regulations.
5. DCI will handle development, hosting, operations, maintenance, and technical support for the platform at no cost to PAGCOR. Before any full-scale rollout, DCI must present a proof of concept for the minimum viable version so PAGCOR can review the app’s functionality, system architecture, security controls, and overall viability over a six-month evaluation period.

During that review, PAGCOR can flag defects and request fixes. If DCI does not resolve the issues within a reasonable period, PAGCOR has the power to terminate the agreement. The arrangement also has to comply with data privacy, cybersecurity, and information security rules, including the Data Privacy Act of 2012, with data-sharing and security terms either built into the deal or set out in a separate data-sharing agreement.

PAGCOR is also working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center. The point, in plain terms, is to tighten the response to illegal online gambling and make it easier for users to check who is actually allowed to operate.