Recently in the Philippines, the dynamics of gambling and entertainment are intertwined. The online entertainment platform Casino Plus held the "Angpao Rain Gala" grand award ceremony in Manila, distributing a total cash reward of 180 million pesos to 600 video creators, setting a local record for similar creator events. Meanwhile, the Philippines is facing the risk of returning to the grey list in the next round of assessments by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2027, with offshore gambling operators (POGO) regulation remaining a key compliance issue. Related Philippine gambling industry dynamics and compliance cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Casino Plus Award Ceremony: Innovation in Rewards and Scale
The award ceremony focused on content creator incentives, with highlights in reward settings and event scale:
Tiered reward mechanism: Rewards are distributed based on performance, with the top 10 creators each receiving 2 million pesos, 90 creators each receiving 1 million pesos, 200 creators each receiving 200,000 pesos, and the remaining 300 creators each receiving 100,000 pesos, all data verified by the official system to ensure transparency;
Selection criteria: Creators are selected based on creative performance, user interaction, and community impact, recognizing the talent and effort of creators;
Event highlights: Famous internet celebrity Sachzna Laparan unveiled the event as "Casino Plus Friend of the House", with artist Boaz Mariano and actress Phoebe Walker hosting, and performances by guests such as FEMME Manila, creating a lively atmosphere;
Future plans: The platform will continue to launch creator-related events and competitions within 2026, with information to be released through the Casino Plus PH official social media platforms.
FATF Grey List Risk: Corruption Cases and Compliance Challenges
While the entertainment sector is heating up, the financial compliance pressure in the Philippines has not eased:
Risk warning: The Philippines successfully exited the FATF grey list in February 2025, but Central Bank Governor Eli Remolona warns that the risk of returning to the grey list still exists as the next round of assessments approaches in 2027;
Core causes: Closely related to last year's massive corruption case in the government's flood prevention project, as chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering Committee (AMLC), Remolona revealed that authorities have frozen assets involving over 4600 bank accounts and hundreds of insurance policies, with investigations still progressing;
Potential variables: New compliance clues may emerge during the investigation process, adding extra pressure to compliance efforts and increasing the uncertainty of returning to the grey list.
POGO Regulation: Rectification Effects and Remaining Loopholes
The regulation of the POGO industry has been an international focus, and it remains a crucial part of compliance efforts in the Philippines:
Past issues: Early POGO industry regulation was lax, becoming a risk point for anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF), raising international concerns;
Rectification effects: The Philippine gaming regulatory authority (PAGCOR) has intensified rectification efforts, shutting down non-compliant businesses and strengthening compliance requirements, with Chairman Alejandro Tengco being recognized for implementing AML/CTF requirements;
Current status: Although overall regulation has significantly strengthened, POGO is unlikely to be the core of the 2027 FATF assessment, but regulatory loopholes have not been completely sealed, remaining a potential risk point that could raise questions, requiring a high-pressure regulatory stance.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original deep gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
