THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) reports that online gaming transactions have decreased by as much as 50 percent following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) order for e-wallet companies to sever ties with online gambling sites.
However, Pagcor Chair Alejandro Tengco also noted an increase in users turning to “illegal” gaming platforms since the BSP issued the directive last week.
BSP Memorandum No. 2025-29, issued on Aug. 14 by BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan, mandated e-wallet platforms to remove in-app features promoting or enabling access to e-gambling sites.
The memo covers e-wallets, banks (through their payment apps and websites), and other supervised entities. “It’s really hard to go after them (illegal sites),” Tengco told Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno during a hearing of the House committee on appropriations on the 2026 national budget on Wednesday.
“But I can assure that the licensed ones under our jurisdiction followed the BSP directive,” he said.
