Pagcor confirms December launch of app for players to verify Philippines-licensed online gaming platforms

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), the country’s gaming regulator, plans to launch a mobile application in December to help consumers identify licensed online gaming platforms and avoid illegal gambling sites. “This platform will give players a reliable way to verify which online gaming platforms are licensed by Pagcor”, said Pagcor chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco (pictured in a file photo) in a Monday press release announcing the measure. “We want the public to make informed choices and avoid falling prey to illegal operators.” He added that the new app would help strengthen Pagcor’s efforts to protect the public from illegal online gambling. The project had previously been announced by Mr Tengco in August during a committee hearing in the Philippine Congress, where he stated that the app would launch before the end of the year. According to Monday’s release, Pagcor’s board of directors approved the app’s development and implementation on October 8, including a proposed partnership with Development Bank of the Philippines Data Center Inc (DCI) to develop, operate and maintain the platform. “DCI will handle the app’s development, hosting, operation, maintenance, and technical support at no cost to Pagcor,” the release stated. Before full-scale implementation, DCI must present a proof of concept for the app to Pagcor for evaluation and acceptance. The six-month assessment will examine the platform’s proposed features, system architecture, security controls and overall feasibility. Pagcor may terminate the arrangement if DCI fails to “address deficiencies identified during the evaluation period within a reasonable time”. The partnership between Pagcor and DCI will run for five years and “may be renewed upon mutual written agreement”. Pagcor noted in its Monday release that it is also coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center to strengthen enforcement against illegal online gambling operators across the country.