ELECTRONIC and online gaming overtook traditional land-based casinos in revenue for the first time in 2025, driven by lower taxes and the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the country’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached P396.14 billion last year, with electronic and online gaming accounting for more than half at P201.12 billion.
Electronic gaming means any play on a digital or electronic device that may function offline, while online gaming requires an active internet connection to link players or servers.
The segment’s revenue grew 30 percent from P154.66 billion in 2024.
Pagcor-licensed online casino brand Buenas PH attributed the growth to regulatory and market changes, including the reduction of the GGR tax rate from 55 to 35 percent in 2024, and subsequently to 30 percent for online games.
Lower rates helped attract investment into regulated domestic gaming operations, while the nationwide POGO ban redirected investment toward licensed local digital operators, Buenas PH said.
The shift toward digital gaming has also changed the industry’s employment needs, with jobs moving from traditional casino and hospitality operations toward technology, software management, and other digital services.
“The industry’s growth signals a mature, structural evolution,” Buenas PH managing consultant Ellen Joy Almanza said, adding that a regulated digital gaming industry can generate higher-skilled technology and corporate jobs.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the gambling and betting industry had the highest average wages within the broader arts, entertainment and recreation sector in 2024.
The industry employed more than 38,000 workers, with an average annual salary of P688,750 per employee.
Pagcor has identified information technology, finance, customer service, data analytics, cybersecurity, and compliance among the areas expected to need more skilled workers as the industry develops.
Buenas PH said operators will need to strengthen their technical and compliance capabilities as the digital gaming market expands.
Almanza said operators should improve anti-money laundering and Know Your Customer procedures, use data science and predictive artificial intelligence to identify problematic gambling behavior, and hire specialists for emerging gaming formats such as esports.
Digital gaming operators would also need stronger management and supervisory structures to maintain regulatory compliance during rapid expansion.
Buenas PH said licensed platforms are investing in local technology talent and compliance systems to meet Pagcor’s player protection and self-exclusion requirements.
