Online bingo is effectively illegal in the Philippines under the newly enacted Anti-POGO Act of 2025 (Republic Act 12312), which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law on October 23, 2025 (1). The legislation formally bans all offshore gaming operations, including online bingo, and revokes the previous regulatory framework that had licensed such activities (1). The law prohibits establishing, operating, or conducting any form of offshore gaming in the Philippines, making online bingo completely prohibited for residents and operators (1).
The Philippine government established the Administrative Oversight Committee under the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission to enforce the Anti-POGO Act's provisions (1). Violators face severe penalties including imprisonment of up to eight years and fines reaching 15 million Philippine pesos for first offenses (1). The law also permanently cancels all previously issued licenses for offshore gaming operations and requires the deportation of foreign workers involved in such activities, further cementing the prohibition (1).
"Bingo and other games are allowed provided that these are played merely as parlor games or for home entertainment, are not held in places habitually used for gambling and do not have betting disguised to defeat the intent of the law. Those not regulated under PAGCOR or the lottery office are deemed illegal."
Residents participating in online bingo through offshore platforms violate Philippine law and face prosecution under the Anti-POGO Act (1). The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government actively monitor and enforce regulations against unauthorized gambling activities (2). Only PAGCOR-licensed operators and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office may legally conduct games of chance in the Philippines, and neither currently offers online bingo services (2). The government's comprehensive approach includes blocking access to offshore gaming websites and prosecuting individuals and organizations operating or promoting illegal online gambling operations (1).
Source:
https://www.igamingtoday.com/the-philippines-institutionalizes-ban-on-offshore-gaming-operations-with-new-law/
https://agbrief.com/news/philippines/30/05/2023/ph-cracking-down-on-illegal-bingo-activities/
Last updated: 01-11-2025 Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.
