Who May Not Gamble in the Philippines: PAGCOR’s Restricted Persons

We at CasinoHub checked this guide against the linked primary documents on 13 November 2026. Independent information, not legal advice.

Not everyone may play at a PAGCOR-licensed casino or online platform, even when they are of age. PAGCOR publishes a list of restricted persons. Breaking the rule can cost more than an account closure: PAGCOR’s online rules allow an ineligible player’s funds to be forfeited to the National Government.

PAGCOR’s current list

PAGCOR’s Responsible Gaming page bars the following people from entering and playing in any gaming establishment, and from playing on any online gaming platform:

• Public-sector officials and staff: national agencies, LGUs, autonomous regional governments, state-run and locally run universities and colleges, and GOCCs whose charters are original statutes.
• Military and police personnel: AFP members across its Army, Navy and Air Force branches, as well as PNP members.
• People younger than 21.
• Anyone recorded in the NDRP: the restricted-persons database includes self-requested, family-requested and casino-initiated exclusion. See the OSEA guide.
• Staff employed by licensees, and people holding a Gaming Employment License (GEL).

The page also prohibits government staff from merely being present at gaming establishments unless performing their duties, and bars loan sharks from roaming gaming premises to lend to players. Its cited bases are PD 1869 (as amended by RA 9487) and CSC Resolution 2600111.

What online platforms must ask you

PAGCOR’s Regulatory Framework for the Accreditation of Gaming System Administrators (effective 2 October 2025) governs many PAGCOR-regulated online casinos. It allows only players aged 21 and over who are not banned under the Office of the President’s Memorandum Circular No. 6, series of 2016, to register. At online sign-up you must declare that:

• you are at least 21;
• you are not barred through your government role, military service or police membership; and
• you are not a GEL holder.

Platforms must also screen players against the NDRP.

Where PAGCOR’s documents differ

PAGCOR’s documents do not use identical wording, and we have not picked one:

• Students: PD 1869, Section 14(4)(c), separately excludes students enrolled at Philippine schools, colleges and universities. PAGCOR’s present web summary does not mention that category. We found no repeal of the Charter provision; we at CasinoHub therefore advise students not to gamble, even after turning 21, and to direct eligibility questions to PAGCOR.
• Government roles: the current web page describes the restriction more broadly than the sign-up declaration in the 2025 GSA framework. Do not treat the shorter declaration as permission to disregard the published restricted groups.

Where documents differ, follow the stricter reading, or ask PAGCOR directly through its contact form.

What happens if a barred person plays

Under the October 2025 online framework:

• Being ineligible to play may mean your remaining funds are forfeited to the National Government. For someone listed in the NDRP, forfeiture covers deposits and winnings during the period they were listed.
• A jackpot won by an ineligible player is treated as the result of illegal play and forfeited.
• Each player must accept Terms of Use that include the ban on barred persons and the forfeiture of their funds. Breaching those terms is grounds for suspending or closing the account.