PAGCOR has capped slot rebates at land-based casinos in the Philippines, splitting the payout into a cash portion and a non-cash one. Under a notice dated 13 October, operators may pay cash rebates of up to 1.4% of turnover, with a further 0.2% allowed as non-cash incentive commissions that cannot be cashed out. The combined ceiling is 1.5%.
The regulator's board approved the amendments on 8 October, and the rules took effect as soon as they were published on PAGCOR's site. They build on the May framework for electronic gaming, which permits cash rebates of up to 1.5% of turnover or deposits, online slots included.
The new text carves slot machines out as a separate category in the land-based casino guidelines and bars operators from booking rebates and commissions as gaming losses when calculating GGR. Table game limits are unchanged: 1.35% of net turnover for VIP players outside junket programmes, 1.5% for junket clients.
Slots are measured against gross turnover rather than net, which leaves operators a little more room to run promotions across different segments of the floor. The notice does not explain the reason for the separate ceilings.
