PAGCOR reorganises licensing team

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has shaken up its gaming licensing department, making four senior level appointments.

Attorney Angeline Papica-Entienza has been appointed as the head of the gaming licensing and development department and has also been made an assistant vice-president of PAGCOR, replacing Ramon Villaflor, who recently stepped down from the role.

PAGCOR casino licensing and regulatory unit senior manager Dave Sevilla has been replaced by attorney Rowena Alcaide, while Angelie Agustin has been appointed as the senior manager of PAGCOR’s responsible gaming and logistics unit following the departure of former head, Luis Dela Concepcion.

Current acting senior manager of the PAGCOR remote gaming unit, Maria Perpetua Flor has been replaced by lawyer Jeremy Luglug. All four appointments have already commenced their roles.

PAGCOR, which is state owned and operated, recently reported a 7.6% year-on-year rise in its net income for the first three months of 2018, accruing PHP1.42bn ($27.3m).  Regulatory fees taken from licensed casinos also rose during the period, topping PHP5.70bn during Q1 2018.

Despite these healthy returns PAGCOR has faced repeated questions over a potential conflict of interest regarding its role as both the regulator of gaming in the Philippines while at the same time working as an operator of casinos and online gaming.

In September 2017, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte announced that the government would begin a programme of privatisation of PAGCOR owned casinos, costing it an estimated $475m in revenue.

However, no definitive timescale has been agreed by the Duterte government for this privatisation to take place.