smart-regulation Archives

BlockShoals Technologies Receives SEC Notice to Proceed — First CAI Cleared for Live StratBox testing in the Philippines

Following in-principle approval from the Commission En Banc in November 2025, BlockShoals has fulfilled evey condition imposed by the SEC. It is the first CAI authorized to commence live testing within the SEC Strategic Sandbox (StratBox) involving a global crypto…

Katrina Ortiz In Articles

Inside the Sandbox: How the Philippines is Shaping the Future of Financial Innovation

The Philippines has 109 million people, a median age of 25, and an investment menu that hasn't changed in years. The regulators are finally catching up.

Marie Antonette B. Quiogue In Articles

The Filipinos powering global gaming, and why this industry needs protecting

As the Philippines' SCBPO (Special Class BPO) gaming sector marks a decade — highlighted by Entain PH's 10th anniversary celebration with nearly 2,000 Filipino employees — the article argues that compliant, Filipino-staffed outsourcing operations supporting global gaming companies must be…

Patricia De Guzman In Articles

Why 2025 is the year Philippine iGaming grew

The first half of 2025 delivered the most compelling set of growth numbers in Philippine gaming history. The second half delivered something arguably more important: a regulatory framework built to sustain them.

Patricia De Guzman In Articles

Arden Consult Contributes Philippines Chapter to Chambers & Partners Gaming Law 2025 Global Practice Guide

Arden Consult has been selected as the contributing author for the Philippines chapter of the Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide: Gaming Law 2025 — one of the most authoritative legal reference publications in the world.

Marie Antonette B. Quiogue In Articles

PAGCOR Issues Implementing Guidelines for B2B Accreditation

69cc8cf68aaf6019f4e91b85_Website_RegUpdates

PAGCOR has released the Regulatory Framework for the Accreditation of Gaming Affiliates and Support Service Providers — the detailed implementing guidelines completing its B2B Accreditation Framework for iGaming service providers.

Marie Antonette B. Quiogue In Articles

Illegal online gambling is the real problem — and it’s time we focus on solutions.

In a recent congressional hearing, lawmakers were visibly baffled when PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco explained that the agency “has no power to close illegal sites”, and could only flag them for enforcement by other government bodies.

Marie Antonette B. Quiogue In Articles

No New “Online Gaming Tax” Needed: Philippine Online Gaming Already Pays Substantial Government Fees

The truth? Philippine-licensed online gaming companies are among the most heavily taxed in the world, with total government take approaching 35% of gross gaming revenue — before profit, and before payroll, withholding, and other business taxes. Meanwhile, illegal operators (who…

Marie Antonette B. Quiogue In Articles

Why Smart Regulation, Not Prohibition, Is the Path Forward for Online Gaming in the Philippines

What we need is not prohibition, but smart regulation—regulation that is enforced, adaptive, and grounded in reality. We’ve made significant progress in building a legal and transparent system that works. The growth of regulated platforms reflects migration from the grey…