The regulator, which also operates casinos in the Philippines, insisted that the measure was needed so that players would avoid becoming the victims of scams or falling prey to identity theft, or credit card fraud.

PAGCOR Continues to Raise Awareness for Responsible Gambling

PAGCOR reminded players that gambling on such websites was a criminal act that could also have very serious consequences for the people involved. It further denies the government the opportunity to raise tax money that could be forwarded to the benefit of various government and social programs.

This is why PAGCOR expects anyone who wishes to gamble to only do so at licensed and regulated gambling websites that have a license to offer electronic games or electronic bingo games. Meanwhile, PAGCOR has been working to actively limit the reach of illegal gambling in the Philippines.

It has teamed up with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). It’s also working with the Department of Justice (DoJ) and Office of Cybercrime (OOC), along with the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Criminals involved in the proliferation of illegal gambling will be held accountable and investigated by a number of regulators and authorities in the country, the regulator reminded.

PAGCOR has reminded licensed operators to uphold AML and KYC standards and requirements in order to better protect gamblers from harm. The regulator further tried to help consumers better understand how to identify and spot a licensed website and avoid the rest, arguing that responsible gambling messages and PAGCOR’s license would be visible on the front page.

PAGCOR has also been investing in the development of a Responsible Gaming Division which is set up to help players participate in gambling responsibly and indeed identify licensed gambling options over murky offshore alternatives.