PAGCOR pushes B2B accreditation deadline to September
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has extended the deadline for contracted business-to-business (B2B) providers to complete their accreditation until 30 September. The move allows eligible suppliers to continue operating while they finalise regulatory requirements ahead of the planned decommissioning of non-compliant providers.
In a LinkedIn post, advisory and consulting firm Arden Consult shared that the extension was announced through a memorandum issued by PAGCOR’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department (EGLD) on 20 July following approval by the regulator’s Board of Directors on 16 July. Under the memorandum, B2B providers currently contracted by Gaming System Administrators (GSAs) that submitted their accreditation applications on or before 31 May 2026 may continue providing services until the new deadline.
Extension gives suppliers more time
PAGCOR said that to secure accreditation, providers must complete all outstanding requirements such as payment of the non-refundable application fee; submission of documentary requirements and the required probity check report; successful completion of the ocular inspection and testing of their electronic gaming system (EGS) and online gaming platform (OGP), where applicable; and posting of the required performance cash deposit.
Companies that fail to meet these requirements will have their EGS, OGP, games and gaming equipment decommissioned from 1 October.
The extension gives suppliers additional time to address delays in obtaining documentary requirements from various government agencies, an issue that affected many applicants despite their efforts to meet the original deadline.
Last month, Arden Consult said that PAGCOR’s fit-and-proper assessments have become a key safeguard in protecting the country’s anti-money laundering (AML) reforms following its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in February 2025.
Accreditation remains mandatory
While PAGCOR has granted providers an extra two months, the regulator has not altered the accreditation requirements or compliance standards.
Only B2B providers that filed their applications on or before 31 May are covered by the extension. Those that fail to complete the process by the revised deadline will no longer be permitted to operate their gaming systems and platforms after 30 September.
Industry welcomes the move
“The decision followed widespread delays in obtaining documentary requirements from various government agencies, creating practical challenges for many suppliers despite their willingness to comply,” John Calderon, Asia-based business development and strategic consultant, said on a LinkedIn post.
Calderon noted that many companies were prepared to comply with the new framework but faced delays beyond their control in obtaining documents required by government agencies. He said that as of late July, only 66 suppliers had successfully completed the accreditation process. While game content providers accounted for most accredited companies, several other support sectors remained underrepresented.
Compliance without disrupting operations
Calderon said the extension demonstrates that PAGCOR is balancing regulatory oversight with the practical realities facing businesses during the transition period.
“Rather than lowering standards, PAGCOR demonstrated regulatory pragmatism. Effective regulation is not measured by how aggressively deadlines are enforced, but by whether compliance can be achieved without unnecessarily disrupting legitimate business activity,” he concluded.
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