The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has postponed the implementation of its Minimum Guaranteed Fee for Gaming System Administrators by two months, moving the start date to June 1 following concerns linked to current economic conditions.
The decision was formalized in a March 30 memorandum after approval by PAGCOR’s Board of Directors at a meeting held on March 26, where the deferment was justified on the basis of “the current economic crisis.” The notice also clarified that the delay responds to multiple requests for extensions related to the rollout of the fee structure.
Originally scheduled to take effect in April, the policy required all licensed gaming system administrators to pay a fixed monthly fee regardless of actual revenue performance. The directive, issued on December 15 by PAGCOR’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Division, applies to all 65 licensed GSAs.
Under the revised timeline, the first tranche of the Minimum Guaranteed Fee will be enforced from June 1 to December 31 this year. This phase targets operators of Electronic Casino Games generating at least PHP30 million ($500,000) and PHP15 million ($250,000) in monthly gross gaming revenue, with corresponding minimum fees set at PHP9 million ($150,000) and PHP3 million ($50,000).
A second tranche is scheduled to take effect beginning January 1, 2027. At that stage, the thresholds will increase to PHP35 million ($580,000) and PHP20 million ($332,000) in monthly gross gaming revenue, while the required minimum fees will rise to PHP10.5 million ($175,000) and PHP4 million ($66,500), respectively.
PAGCOR stated that its Electronic Gaming Licensing Department “shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of prevailing industry conditions to determine whether to proceed with, further adjust, or lift the deferment of the MGF implementation, consistent with the objectives of long-term sector sustainability” before the end of the two-month deferment period.
Industry data previously analyzed by Arden Consult suggests that only 25 operators currently meet or exceed the PHP30 million monthly gross gaming revenue threshold that would allow them to absorb the minimum fee requirement under the initial framework.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/04/03/118393-pagcor-postpones-new-fee-schedule-for-gaming-system-administrators-to-june-amid-economic-concerns
