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Market · Philippines · Fri 23 Oct · 1 min read

PAGCOR's POGO hangover is real and measurable

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What happened

Keith McDonnell's assessment that PAGCOR is still recovering from the POGO shutdown is the most candid public framing of the regulator's structural problem since PAGCOR's own 42% GGR growth headline in October. Those two reads are not contradictory: domestic and SCBPO revenue is growing, but the offshore licensing fees, compliance income, and regulatory footprint that POGOs generated have not been replaced like-for-like.…

Sources: Google News

  1. PAGCOR up 42% despite POGO ban; targets hold43 billion, with the chair confirming targets remain on track, is the clearest public rebuttal yet to the argument that the offshore gambling ban would crater regulator finances. The domestic market, SCBPOs, and licensed online operators have absorbed the gap faster than critics predicted.…Market · Philippines
  2. PAGCOR eyes SCBPOs as next revenue driverPAGCOR signaling that small casino-based player operators are its next revenue growth vehicle is a meaningful strategic pivot: after the POGO ban removed a large offshore revenue line, the regulator is looking inward at smaller domestic gaming formats to fill the gap. For B2B suppliers, compliance vendors, and technology partners, this is an early indicator of where new licensing activity and procurement spending will concentrate in the near term.…Market · Philippines
  3. PAGCOR revenue collapse is worse than it looksA 27% revenue drop and 85% net income collapse at PAGCOR in H1 2026, driven by e-games weakness, is not a soft patch. It is a structural signal that the segment operators have been building Philippine online revenue around is contracting in the regulated channel. This lands on top of the 7% GGR contraction already projected for the year and S&P's bottom-half ranking of Philippine gaming credit quality. Operators in PAGCOR license renewal or expansion approval conversations should expect a regulator under fiscal pressure to be simultaneously more demanding on compliance and more motivated to process revenue-generating approvals quickly. Use that tension strategically.Market