PAGCOR Partners with NPC to Strengthen Data Protection in Gaming
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has signed a cooperation agreement with the National Privacy Commission.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The partnership aims to strengthen data privacy across the Philippines’ gaming sector.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on October 20 at PAGCOR’s corporate office in Pasay City. Under the agreement, the two agencies will coordinate on compliance, monitoring and capacity-building initiatives aimed at reducing privacy risks for players, employees and licensees in both land-based and online casinos in the Philippines, e-games operations and other gaming venues regulated by PAGCOR.
Alejandro H. Tengco, PAGCOR’s chair and chief executive, said the partnership is intended to bring the regulator’s policies into closer alignment with evolving privacy standards. "Partnering with the NPC marks a crucial milestone for PAGCOR", Tengco said. "It enables us to harmonise our internal processes with current data protection norms, strengthen safeguards for customers and staff, and maintain transparency and accountability across our regulatory functions."
The agencies also signalled plans to develop a centralised banned-players register that will catalogue excluded individuals, including those barred from gaming under existing rules, as well as government officials prohibited from participating in gambling activities.
What the Partnership Means for Operators and Players
The NPC, which enforces the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act of 2012, will provide technical guidance and oversight as PAGCOR tightens its privacy governance. John Henry Naga, NPC privacy commissioner and chair, welcomed the move as a practical example of inter-agency cooperation.
We applaud PAGCOR’s proactive approach. Closer regulatory coordination will enhance oversight of personal data handling in sectors that process large volumes of sensitive information, and will help close compliance gaps more quickly.
According to PAGCOR, the MoU grew out of a recent NPC-led Data Privacy Training Workshop for government-owned and controlled corporations, where PAGCOR’s data protection officer, Maria Concepcion Gloria-Rubio, proposed a dedicated framework tailored to the particular risks of gaming operations. The proposal has since broadened into joint activities that range from staff training and privacy impact assessments to shared audit protocols and public awareness campaigns.
Industry analysts said the agreement responds to a long-standing vulnerability: gaming businesses collect extensive personal and financial data, from identity documents to transactional histories, making them an attractive target for cybercriminals and a focal point for regulatory scrutiny. "Regulatory alignment between a sectoral regulator and the national privacy authority can materially reduce compliance burdens for operators while improving protections for consumers," said Ronaldo S. Dominguez, a Manila-based privacy lawyer. "If implemented properly, these measures will raise the floor on data protection across both licensed casinos and digital gaming platforms."
Operators should expect heightened inspections and clearer guidance on requirements such as data retention limits, lawful bases for processing, incident reporting timelines and technical safeguards. PAGCOR said it will consult industry stakeholders during roll-out phases to ensure the rules are workable for licensees of varying sizes.
Beyond enforcement, the pair intend to run joint public education drives to raise awareness among players about their privacy rights and to promote stronger internal controls among employers and vendors who service the gaming ecosystem.
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The MoU sets a non-binding framework for cooperation; practical implementation will depend on a schedule of activities and resource allocations to be agreed by both agencies. PAGCOR and the NPC have signalled they will begin with a series of workshops and pilot audits before expanding to broader regulatory guidance and a phased launch of the banned-players register. Stakeholders have been invited to participate in consultative sessions planned over the coming months.
For an industry that combines cash-heavy operations with increasingly sophisticated digital platforms, the partnership marks a notable step toward standardising data protection practices and reducing regulatory uncertainty for operators, workers and players alike.
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