A regulatory notice from the Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp (Pagcor), setting out maximum percentages for cash rebates or cashback programmes that providers of electronic games can offer players, has been described as a “positive and necessary step” by gaming industry expert Shaun McCamley. He added it was a sign of a maturing online market, with upped player protections.
The Pagcor memo said that – based on a player’s turnover, i.e., gross bets placed, or the player’s deposit – then there would be a permissible maximum rate of 1.50 percent cash rebate for digital slot machine games, electronic bingo games, numeric games, and sports betting, “except for casino table games and arcade-type games”.
The regulator’s statement also said that – measured on a player’s net losses – there could be “up to a maximum rate of 15 percent cashback for all types of electronic games”.
For electronic games falling under the previously mentioned categories, Pagcor’s Electronic Gaming Licensing Department “shall evaluate, determine the appropriate rate/s and issue approval” to proposed cash rebate programmes “taking into consideration the return to player of each game”.
The memo was issued by the Electronic Gaming Licensing Department following a Pagcor board meeting on May 7.
Mr McCamley, who has more than four decades of experience in land-based and online gaming management and investment, told GGRAsia: “This is actually a positive and necessary step for the Philippine online gaming market.
“Rather than banning cashback and rebate programmes, Pagcor is formalising them through defined limits, approvals, and reporting requirements – creating a more sustainable and disciplined operating environment.”
Mr McCamley, who is also the founder and chairman of GameWorkz, a social gaming provider, added: “This mirrors trends seen in more mature regulated markets such as the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and parts of the United States, where operators are being forced to move away from aggressive bonus-driven offers.”
He stated: “Ultimately, this benefits serious operators focused on long-term player engagement and retention, rather than unsustainable promotional spend.”
In 2025, the online gaming segment, including electronic games – known as “e-games” –, had “overtaken licensed casinos as the largest gross gaming revenue contributor,” the regulator had noted in an April announcement.
