The Commission on Audit (COA) says some online gaming sites run by PAGCOR-approved gaming system operators and licensed casinos could be reached from outside the Philippines, or took bets from there. The finding is in COA’s audit of PAGCOR’s 2025 accounts, which BusinessWorld reported on 5 November 2026.
COA said this breaks the rules for these operators that took effect on 2 October 2025. Those rules say they may only serve players inside the country. COA told PAGCOR to keep a closer watch on these operators and licensed casinos, so that no online bets come from abroad.
The audit also found problems in PAGCOR’s own books. One was a ₱310.37 million mismatch in its ₱1.38 billion stock of goods. Another was ₱407.41 million owed to PAGCOR that hasn’t been collected in more than 10 years. Because of these problems, COA gave a “qualified opinion” on PAGCOR’s 2025 and 2024 accounts, meaning parts of them are not fully reliable.
PAGCOR had not replied when BusinessWorld asked for comment. For players, the takeaway is the same as before: only play on PAGCOR-licensed sites from inside the Philippines.
