Pagcor app to help online gamers spot illegal gaming sites

National

THE line between legal and illegal online gaming could soon become easier for players to spot.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) is preparing to launch an application before the end of the year that will identify gaming platforms licensed and regulated by the agency.

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco announced the planned application during the agency’s budget hearing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday, August 24. He said the app is intended to curb illegal online gambling while strengthening protections for players by directing them toward platforms operating under PAGCOR’s regulatory framework.

The application will also give players a clearer way to determine which gaming sites are authorized and subject to regulatory requirements and safeguards.

“The Pagcor app has two main objectives: First, to curb illegal online gambling and second, to protect players by ensuring that they play only on platforms licensed and regulated by PAGCOR,” Tengco said in an Inquirer.net report.

Tengco also said using a licensed operator gives players access to a dispute-resolution process should problems arise with their gaming transactions.

The planned app comes as Pagcor continues working with other government agencies to combat illegal online gaming and encourage players to shift to regulated platforms.

According to Tengco, about half of the online gaming sites accessed in the Philippines are illegal, underscoring the continuing challenge faced by Pagcor and its law enforcement partners in keeping players within the regulated sector.

He urged online gaming users to use the Pagcor App once it is launched, saying that making legal platforms easier to identify would help protect players from illegal operators and the risks associated with unregulated gaming.

The application builds on Pagcor’s existing efforts to help the public distinguish licensed gaming operators from illegal ones.(MyTVCebu)