Part III: Business & Regulation · Banking, Chips & Financial Operations

74. PAGCOR

Asia-Pacific Variations

PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) is the government-owned and controlled corporation that regulates and operates gaming in the Philippines. PAGCOR licenses and supervises all casino operations in the Philippines, including Entertainment City in Parañaque (Manila’s integrated resort district), as well as smaller casinos and gaming venues throughout the country. PAGCOR issues the Casino Regulatory Manual that establishes standards for casino operations, internal controls, chip management, count procedures, and financial reporting for Philippine licensees. PAGCOR also operates its own chain of Casino Filipino properties. The corporation’s mandate includes generating revenue for government programs while ensuring responsible gaming and preventing criminal infiltration of the industry.

In practice

PAGCOR’s Casino Regulatory Manual (Version 4+) defines key Philippine casino terminology including “fill,” “gaming day,” “gaming paraphernalia,” and other operational terms. PAGCOR recently underwent organizational restructuring with plans to transition to a purely regulatory role while privatizing casino operations.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.