Second time lucky as Philweb secures PAGCOR accreditation

Philweb, an online gambling firm in the Philippines almost killed off last year by president Rodrigo Duterte’s vendetta against online gambling (see previous reports) can again offer its services to online gaming sites after securing accreditation from regulator PAGCOR.

Announcing the accreditation in a stock exchange advisory, the company claimed it has been accredited as an electronic gaming system service provider:

“As an Accredited EGS Service Provider, PhilWeb Corporation can offer its software and other services to the operators of PAGCOR-licensed gaming sites for electronic games,” the advisory revealed.

PhilWeb president Dennis O. Valdes said he was hoping to win back 120 independent gaming operators that used to work with Philweb before the Duterte regime struck.

This was Philweb’s second atteempt at licensing; in 2016 Pagcor refused the privilege after president Duterte branded PhilWeb’s former chairman and principal shareholder Roberto Ongpin as an oligarch that his administration would destroy.

Ongpin ultimately had to step down and sell his shares in PhilWeb to businessman Gregorio Araneta III for just P2 billion.