Integrated resort casinos in the Philippines generated P93.36 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the first half of 2025, maintaining momentum for the country’s tourism and gaming sectors, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said Thursday.
PAGCOR chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco said the casinos accounted for nearly half of the local gaming industry’s total GGR of P215 billion from January to June this year. Tengco made the remarks in his welcome address at the Philippine Hotel Connect 2025 event.
He did not provide year-on-year comparisons.
“Of the P93.36 billion generated by the integrated resort casinos, P16 billion was paid to PAGCOR as license fees, ensuring funding for government social services and driving the country’s economic growth,” Tengco said.
The PAGCOR chief said beyond contributing to government revenues, integrated resort casinos also helped position the Philippines as a competitive tourism destination.
“We have seen time and again how a thriving hospitality sector can drive employment, fuel trade, revive local enterprises and bridge communities. And nowhere is this more evident than in the huge tourism contributions from our licensed integrated resort casinos within and outside Metro Manila,” he said.
He said that on top of license fees, the casinos provide significant funding to key government institutions, including the health, education, and military sectors, through their cultural foundations.
“Their contributions are concrete examples of how tourism, hospitality, and gaming – when aligned and responsibly managed – become a catalyst for national resilience and progress,” Tengco said.
Despite the strong industry performance, Tengco cited the need to safeguard its growth through effective regulation and responsible gaming practices.
He cited PAGCOR’s recent move to remove gambling advertisements from areas frequented by minors and a memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council to implement stricter gaming advertising guidelines.
“As the gaming industry expands, so must our safeguards. Hence, we have taken a firm stance against the proliferation of illegal and unregulated gaming operations that offer no safety nets or protection to players and, more importantly, no remittance or any form of revenue to the government,” he said.
Tengco also called for continued collaboration between the government and the private sector to maintain the momentum of tourism recovery and long-term economic gains.
“The success of Philippine tourism is a shared journey between regulators and investors, between public ambition and private innovation. PAGCOR will continue to walk side by side with our partners in building a globally competitive yet distinctly Filipino tourism and gaming industries,” he said.
The Philippine Hotel Connect 2025, organized by the Philippine Hotel Owners Association, gathered tourism and hospitality leaders to foster collaboration, discuss global and regional tourism insights and opportunities, and emerging trends.
