PAGCOR chairman seeks online gaming law by 2028 as Century reports partner licence cancellations

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has called for a statutory online gaming law to be enacted before his term ends on 30 June 2028, saying a statute would prevent the market from being "easily scrapped." The call came during an interview published on 29 September at the IAG EXPO and reported by Inside Asian Gaming. At the same time, Hong Kong-listed Century Entertainment International Holdings (HKEX: 959) disclosed in its annual report that its Philippine partner's Gaming System Administrator (GSA) and Gaming Content Provider (GCP) licences were cancelled in mid-April 2026.

Tengco wants an online gaming law in place before June 2028

Alejandro Tengco set out the timetable in the final part of an interview series published on 29 September by Inside Asian Gaming. Tengco said a comprehensive online gaming law should be enacted before his term as chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation ends on 30 June 2028. He has repeatedly identified three priorities for his tenure: a dedicated online gaming statute, decoupling PAGCOR's regulator and operator roles, and a new PAGCOR headquarters; he mentioned the legislative priority to iGaming Business in May.

Tengco framed a law as a stabilising force for the sector: "There is a structure, there is a law, so it will not easily be scrapped," he told IAG. Until a law is passed the online market runs under a combination of statutory powers and PAGCOR's own regulations, which the regulator has been tightening through measures such as advertising and rebate restrictions and a minimum guaranteed fee that Century's annual report says took effect on 1 July 2026.

Gross gaming revenue for the Philippine market reached a record PHP396 billion (approximately $6.4 billion) in 2025, but it dropped 16% in the first quarter of 2026, with online revenue down 23%, according to iGaming Business. The downturn followed a central bank requirement that forced e-wallets to delink from gambling sites.

Where Congress stands on online gaming regulation

No comprehensive online gaming law has been enacted by the Philippine Congress. The Senate and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation have been reported to be drafting a regulatory bill that would tighten payment channel controls and marketing rules. Since 2025, multiple Senate-filed measures include bills that would ban online gaming outright; S&P Global has cited such proposals as a risk to market players including DigiPlus.

House Bill 10982, an online gambling advertising ban filed by Representative Karen Hope Garcia on 26 August, has not been scheduled for committee hearings, according to Yogonet. Senator Francis Escudero's Senate Bill 2347 proposes a similar advertising ban. PAGCOR's formal position, set out in July 2025, is that it will comply with any laws enacted by Congress and signed by the President.

Century's account: partner licence cancellations and operational workarounds

Century Entertainment International Holdings, previously Amax International Holdings, says it entered the Philippine online market in July 2025 through Konphil Technology, a Hong Kong joint venture that Century owns 51% of, with the strategic partner owning 49%. The partner is named in prior public disclosures as World Platinum Technologies (WPT).

Century's 25 September annual report states that in mid-April 2026 the group was informed by its "Strategic Partner" that that partner's GSA and GCP licences had been cancelled. PAGCOR told Inside Asian Gaming in July that WPT's GSA accreditation had been cancelled in April, but PAGCOR did not give a reason for the cancellation.

Century's 25 June announcement, however, described WPT as "a PAGCOR-accredited service provider" and outlined a deployment agreement signed on 2 April covering 27 games at seven gaming venues. That June disclosure also referenced a HK$100 million (approximately $12.8 million) revenue guarantee WPT allegedly provided to Konphil on 30 May; the annual report does not reconcile that timeline with the mid-April cancellation.

Century says it preserved operations by appointing a separate PAGCOR-accredited GCP as exclusive distributor before 26 March, when PAGCOR's new requirement took effect obliging foreign game providers to be accredited or to use an accredited party. In early April, Century says its partner appointed another accredited GSA to carry Konphil's platforms. The group's Philippines legal counsel concluded the agreement between the Strategic Partner and the other PAGCOR-accredited GSA is valid, and the directors "consider that the cancellation of the Strategic Partner's GSA and GCP licences does not, as a matter of Philippines gaming law, affect the Group's Phase IV operations."

Under the Phase IV commercial model disclosed by Century, Konphil retains net gaming revenue from dedicated virtual gaming rooms and pays the partner a 15% "Runner's Fee." The partner or its designated licensed party remains the surface operator responsible for PAGCOR compliance and the banker bearing game risk. Century reports unaudited Phase IV revenue of HK$53.9 million (approximately $6.9 million) for April to June.

Financial position, audit concerns and trading suspension

For the year to 31 March Century reported HK$30.3 million (approximately $3.9 million) in revenue and an HK$8.6 million profit, after a prior HK$45.7 million loss. The profit was aided by gains from a settlement with Ng Man Sun, who was reappointed chairman in April, and waivers of payables. At 31 March the group had net liabilities of HK$116.4 million (approximately $14.9 million), and its largest customer accounted for 78.26% of revenue.

Century's auditor, Crowe (HK), flagged a material uncertainty over the group's ability to continue as a going concern. The company's shares have been suspended from trading since June 2025. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange notified Century on 9 July that it must demonstrate adequate internal controls before trading can resume.

PAGCOR supplier accreditation: the regulatory posture and practical risk

This year PAGCOR has pushed business-to-business suppliers toward direct accreditation, setting a 31 March deadline for B2B providers. Century's structure — operating through a distributor holding the GCP accreditation and a separate GSA rather than directly through its Strategic Partner — is what the regulator's supplier rules were designed to regulate. Century's lawyers say the arrangements are lawful and PAGCOR has not publicly objected.

Tengco's argument for a statute is procedural certainty: a law would fix elements that PAGCOR currently adjusts by regulation, from fees to marketing limits to who may supply games. The Century case illustrates how much of the online market can depend on accreditation layers that a regulator can change by administrative action.

"There is a structure, there is a law, so it will not easily be scrapped," Alejandro Tengco said on the need for statute, as reported by Inside Asian Gaming.

What operators and vendors should watch

Operators and platform suppliers need to track three items closely: the progress of any legislative bills in both houses of Congress, PAGCOR's accreditation circulars and deadlines for B2B providers, and enforcement or disclosure outcomes from the Hong Kong exchange's review of Century's internal controls. Changes in any of those three areas can reallocate commercial risks and market access overnight.

For regulatory teams the immediate questions are whether Congress will enact a comprehensive law before mid-2028 and how that law would codify current PAGCOR practices on supplier accreditation, advertising limits and payment channels.