PHFUN on the Online Gambling Ban Philippines Players Ask About
The online gambling ban Philippines headlines describe is Executive Order No. 74 of 5 November 2024, which banned offshore gaming operations offered to players outside the country.
- PHFUN and the BSP Online Gambling Memorandum M-2025-029
- BSP online gambling policy in 2025 was Memorandum M-2025-029: BSP-supervised institutions had 48 hours to remove links that give in-app gambling access from their mobile payment apps and websites.
- PHFUN and Gambling Winnings Tax Philippines Rules
- Section 24(B)(1) of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended by RA 10963, sets a 20 percent final tax on prizes and other winnings from Philippine sources.
The online gambling ban Philippines headlines mention is narrower than the phrase suggests. Executive Order No. 74, dated 5 November 2024, targets offshore gaming operations that serve players located outside the country. What sits on the other side of that line is checked through PAGCOR’s registered online casino list, and this page shows you where the line falls.
What the online gambling ban Philippines order says
The order is titled “Immediate Ban of Philippine Offshore Gaming, Internet Gaming, and Other Offshore Gaming Operations in the Philippines, and for Other Purposes”. It was signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and its recitals record that the ban was first pronounced in the State of the Nation Address on 22 July 2024.
| Item | What EO 74 states |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 November 2024 |
| Who it names | POGO licensees, POGO gaming agents, POGO service providers, and Internet Gaming Licensees |
| What it defines as offshore gaming | Online games of chance limited to livestreamed e-casino games, online RNG games and online sports betting |
| Who those games are offered to | Exclusively and directly to foreign players located outside the Philippines |
| Cease date | 31 December 2024 or earlier |
The definition also says it excludes online games of chance conducted in PAGCOR-operated casinos, licensed casinos, or integrated resorts with junket agreements.
The POGO ban timeline
A POGO ban is a sequence, not a single day. The dates below come from the order’s own text.
- 22 July 2024: an unequivocal ban of POGO and IGL operations is pronounced in the State of the Nation Address.
- 5 November 2024: Executive Order No. 74 is dated and sets the ban out in writing.
- 31 December 2024: the latest date for licensed offshore gaming operations to cease operations, including winding up their affairs.
The order also directs two working groups. One, led by PAGCOR, handles employment recovery, and the other, led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, handles anti-illegal operations.
Is an online casino in the Philippines legal today?
The question “online casino philippines legal” has no single yes or no in the order. What the order does is fix its target: services offered exclusively to foreign players. Whether a particular brand is accredited is a separate, checkable fact.
Start with PAGCOR’s published list of accredited gaming system administrators and registered brands and domain names. The copy dated September 17, 2026 prints the game offering for each entry, including Electronic Casino Games, Electronic Bingo Games, Sports Betting and Numeric Games. Open it, search the brand, and match the exact domain in your address bar, because a listing covers only the domains printed in its row.
What the ban left in place
Three things stay outside the order’s wording, and each has its own page or source.
| Topic | Where to read it |
|---|---|
| PAGCOR’s accredited brands and their domains | The PAGCOR list walkthrough |
| E-wallet links to gambling sites | BSP online gambling rules for wallets |
| Online sabong, suspended nationwide in 2022 and prohibited by Executive Order No. 9 signed on 28 December 2022 | Sabong history and the e-sabong suspension |
Each of those is a separate rule from the POGO order. The ban on POGOs does not decide them, and they do not decide the ban.
Your next step
Read the order, then read the list. Two minutes with PAGCOR’s PDF tells you more than any headline, and you can repeat it whenever a new address reaches you. Keep play to the budget you set in advance, and stay 21+.
FAQ
Is online gambling banned in the Philippines?
Executive Order No. 74 banned POGOs and Internet Gaming Licensees, meaning online games offered exclusively to foreign players outside the country. To see which brands PAGCOR accredits, read its published list.
When did the POGO ban take effect?
The order was dated 5 November 2024 and required offshore gaming operations to cease, including winding up their affairs, on 31 December 2024 or earlier.
Does the POGO ban affect a player in the Philippines?
The order defines offshore gaming as games offered exclusively and directly to foreign players located outside the Philippines. For your own play, the useful check is whether a brand and its domain appear on PAGCOR's list.
Ano ang pagkakaiba ng POGO at online casino para sa mga Pilipino?
Ang POGO sa EO 74 ay para sa mga dayuhang manlalaro sa labas ng Pilipinas. Para sa sarili mong laro, tingnan kung nasa listahan ng PAGCOR ang brand at ang eksaktong domain.