Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR has set 31 July 2026 as the final deadline for B2B providers to the domestic online gaming industry to fully comply with and complete all accreditation requirements under the new regulatory framework.
It has also provided a two-month interim window from 31 May in which contracted providers who have submitted their applications for accreditation may continue their existing operations and provision of services to Gaming System Administrators (GSAs).
Those who fail to comply with accreditation requirements by 31 July will have their electronic gaming systems, online gaming platforms, games and gaming equipment decommissioned as of 1 August, the regulator said in a new memo issued by PAGCOR’s I-Gaming Licensing and Regulation Group’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department.
IAG understands the memo, dated 21 May 2026, was issued to address mounting uncertainty among gaming suppliers and operators. PAGCOR had previously extended the application deadline for B2B accreditation, leaving many in the industry uncertain about timelines, interim operating status and the consequences of non-compliance. The memo, addressed to “all Gaming System Administrators (GSAs), licensees of integrated resorts, gaming affiliates, support service providers and all applicants and concerned entities,” answers those questions directly.
Tonet Quiogue, CEO of Arden Consult – which specializes in Philippine gaming regulation – told IAG that her firm has been fielding the same questions from both sides of the table.
“Our B2B clients wanted to know whether they could keep servicing operators while their applications were being processed and our operator clients wanted to know whether they’d be penalized for continuing to work with suppliers who hadn’t yet been accredited. This memo addresses both concerns,” Tonet explained.
The memorandum sets out four accreditation requirements that must be completed no later than 31 July 2026: payment of the non-refundable application fee; submission of documentary requirements including a probity check report; satisfactory results from an ocular inspection of the applicant’s facility and actual testing of its electronic gaming systems and online gaming platforms; and the posting of a corresponding performance cash deposit.
Tonet noted that the guidelines also serve to validate the position of companies that moved early.
“Providers like Light & Wonder and GLI were among the first to file their applications – they took the process seriously from day one, even when others were waiting to see how things would unfold,” she said. “This memo rewards that approach. Those early applicants now have a clear interim runway.
“That said, it’s encouraging that in the last two weeks alone, we’ve seen a significant uptick in B2B providers reaching out to begin their applications.
“It may be late, but it shows that the rules are being taken seriously. And it’s not just coming from the supplier side – operators themselves are driving this. We’re seeing GSAs become far more conservative in how they manage their supply chains, actively requiring their B2B partners to apply for accreditation. Some are even refusing to enter into new agreements until a provider can show proof of compliance. That’s a marked shift from where the market was six months ago.”
While the memo outlines the consequences for providers who fail to submit their accreditation requirements by 31 July, a similar fate awaits those who file on time but fall short of expected compliance requirements, with their platforms, systems and games also to be decommissioned.
“PAGCOR isn’t just regulating the suppliers, it’s telling GSAs that if they engage with non-compliant B2B providers, they themselves face sanctions,” Tonet said. “Operators now have their own regulatory incentive to vet the accreditation status of every partner in their supply chain. It’s a two-sided compliance framework and it’s going to reshape how these commercial relationships are managed going forward.”
PAGCOR first released details of its new regulatory framework last year and has since implemented a series of directives aimed at tightening regulatory controls while ensuring a clearer pathway forward for compliant industry participants. These include the implementation of a Minimum Guaranteed Fee to be paid by all licensed operators to solve issues of under-declaration or misdeclaration of revenues, the release of an Accreditation Framework for Data Streaming Providers establishing a regulated pathway for Philippines-based live-dealer studios to stream gameplay feeds to operators licensed in foreign jurisdictions, and most recently a cap on player rebate and cashback programs with the goal of leveling the playing field.
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