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Philippines BIR Predicts 50% Drop in POGO Tax Collections in 2021


The Bureau of Internal Revenue in the Philippines has said that the tax revenue from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) will drop this year.
BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa told senators that the latest projections show POGO tax collections settling at ₱3.92 billion, just half the ₱7.18 billion raised in 2020.
This is based on the January revenue of ₱327.2 million, down 69% compared to a year ago, multiplied by 12 months.
Victor Padilla, senior manager for offshore gaming of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), said there are only 38 license holders operating from a peak of 61 companies pre-pandemic.
POGOs were forced to shut down due to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. They were allowed to reopen in May, but were told to settle all their unpaid dues with the BIR.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee tackled bills that would set the tax rules for POGOs. In the measure, license holders will pay a franchise tax worth 5% of gross gaming receipts while foreign employees will be subject to a 25% withholding tax. This assumes that they are earning at least ₱600,000 a year or ₱50,000 monthly.
These tax rates were originally passed under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, but POGO companies ran to the Supreme Court to stop its implementation.
“It is their contention that once the foreign national acquired their working visa, these foreign nationals should be taxed like the ordinary Filipino citizen or resident alien employee,” Guballa said during the hearing.
The BIR official added that POGO firms also insisted that they should not be paying any dues to the BIR as they registered abroad and do not derive income from the Philippines.

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Soft2Bet shortlisted for 8 honours at 2025 WIG Diversity Awards
Soft2Bet, a leading iGaming turnkey solutions provider that delivers high-quality products and services for online gambling operators, has been shortlisted in eight headline categories at the 2025 Women in Gaming (WIG) Diversity & Inclusion Awards, scheduled for 5 June at London’s Savoy Hotel. The WIG Diversity & Inclusion Awards honour outstanding contributions across areas such as innovation, inclusive culture, community impact, and business leadership within the global gaming sector. This recognition follows a year of high performance results, new deals, new brand launches, platform, MEGA product growth, and leadership recognition, underscoring Soft2Bet’s dual strength as a technology provider and an employer of choice.
Shortlisted categories
- B2B Excellence (Company)
- Best Diverse Place to Work
- Community Engagement
- Company of the Year (Supplier)
- Great Place to Work
- Innovator
- Leader of the Year and Positive Role Model of the Year (Supplier) – CMO at Soft2Bet
“These nominations are a powerful endorsement of our teams, our strategic leadership, industry impact, and our unwavering commitment to excellence in key European markets where our brands and products consistently deliver top-tier performance,” said Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet.
The shortlisting for Best Diverse Place to Work and Great Place to Work reflects the company’s internal progress: women now occupy 60% of leadership roles and team members from nine nationalities contribute to product development and strategy through initiatives like the Culture Squad and the Make a Difference platform.
Over the past year, Soft2Bet doubled its EBITDA, secured licenses in Ontario, Sweden, Romania, Spain, etc., announced new brands, new sponsorships on highly competitive markets, such as as Nordics and Ontario, and prepared for its first U.S. launch in New Jersey, bringing its total to 19 licenses across 12 jurisdictions.
Soft2Bet being shortlisted as B2B excellence is reflected in a robust portfolio of 13 consumer brands and industry recognition for both our proprietary platform and standout products such as MEGA, which continue to redefine engagement and innovation in regulated markets.
Earlier in 2025, Soft2Bet earned three titles at the European – Global Banking & Finance / Sustainability & ESG Awards, recognising Soft2Bet’s ongoing pursuit of innovation, its focus on delivering exceptional customer value, its strong AML measures, and overall commitment to compliance standards and sustainability across key European markets.
The post Soft2Bet shortlisted for 8 honours at 2025 WIG Diversity Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SPORTFIVE Expands Global Media Production Services With Athlete-Focused Division
SPORTFIVE, a leading international sports marketing agency, has announced the continued growth of its global media production services, reinforcing its position as a creative and strategic partner to rightsholders, brands and athletes worldwide.
An Integrated Approach To Athlete Content
With increasing demand for high-quality, digital-first storytelling across sport, SPORTFIVE has scaled its production capabilities across multiple markets – enhancing its ability to deliver original content, multi-platform campaigns, and athlete-led narratives at speed and at scale. As part of this evolution, the agency has brought together and formalized its athlete content expertise into a focused division dedicated to developing and producing bespoke media products for talent: the Global Athlete Media House. Integrated within SPORTFIVE’s broader production offering, this team delivers tailored strategies and cross-channel content that supports athletes in building long-term personal brands.
SPORTFIVE has long been a trusted partner for athletes seeking to strengthen their presence beyond the pitch, court, or track. From building digital identities and launching social media profiles, to producing documentaries and long-form content, the agency has played a pivotal role in helping athletes engage fans and position themselves as global media personalities.
Notable work includes Jürgen Klopp’s Instagram launch (@Kloppo), Manuel Neuer’s entry into the Chinese market via Weibo and Xiaohongshu, and Rio Ferdinand’s Tipping Point documentary with Amazon Prime Video. More recently, SPORTFIVE supported the Becker Petkovic Podcast, launched during the 2025 Australian Open, which quickly became one of the most popular tennis podcasts in German-speaking markets.
The Global Athlete Media House builds on this foundation, offering services across four key pillars:
Social Media
Custom content and platform strategy tailored to each athlete’s brand and audience.
Podcast Formats
Concept development, production, and distribution of athlete-hosted audio and video formats.
Off-Court PR
Media activations and storytelling designed to extend athlete relevance beyond competition.
Original Content
From branded videos to full-scale documentaries, creating high-quality stories that resonate globally.
These services are available not only to SPORTFIVE-represented athletes, but also to brands, rightsholders, and external talent seeking strategic, athlete-first media production.
“Athletes today are more than just sports professionals – they are brands, creators, and entrepreneurs. At SPORTFIVE, we recognized early on that authentic, high-quality content is essential for building long-term athlete brands. With the Global Athlete Media House, we are taking the next step by combining our expertise and services in one department. This provides not only our own athletes with a range of services but also extends these to external partners.” said Ron Wiegand, Senior Vice President Global Athlete & Team Marketing, SPORTFIVE.
The post SPORTFIVE Expands Global Media Production Services With Athlete-Focused Division appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Yaspa shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards
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Real-time payment provider nominated for safer gambling and innovation accolades
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London-based company was awarded government grant to develop unique responsible gambling solution
London, April 29, 2025 – Real-time payment provider Yaspa has been shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards.
The London-based company is named among the nominees for Innovation in Payments Solutions and Safer Gambling Software Supplier at the forthcoming EGR B2B Awards.
Now in their 16th year, the EGR B2B Awards are known for recognising excellence in service providers in the gambling industry, rewarding those truly leading the way in innovation, reliability and client service. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Roundhouse in London on July 3.
Yaspa enables smooth, simple and secure instant payments through open banking for a range of partners. It works with online and offline gambling industry businesses, including Playbook Engineering, Novibet, NetBet, Casino Lugano and White Hat Gaming.
In 2024 Yaspa was awarded an Innovate UK grant to continue to develop its Intelligent Payments solution – a unique B2B platform that combines open banking technology and AI to help gambling operators identify vulnerable players in a frictionless manner. It is designed to empower businesses by combining Pay by Bank transactions, AI-powered verification, and real-time risk assessment into a seamless, secure experience.
In the gambling sector, Yaspa is able to help operators support responsible gambling with access to player transaction data at the point of deposit, delivering real-time user insights for a significantly broader and more accurate picture of a player’s pan-operator activity and financial health.
Yaspa CEO James Neville said: “The EGR awards are regarded as the pinnacle of B2B igaming ceremonies and for Yaspa to be nominated is great recognition for our team’s hard work and dedication to innovation.
“Our Intelligent Payments solution is a truly unique proposition and it’s wonderful to see that its potential to have a profound impact as a responsible gambling tool has been recognised.
“We are very proud to be shortlisted alongside some of the biggest names in the gambling and payments industries and we are very much looking forward to the awards night.”
The post Yaspa shortlisted for two prestigious gambling industry awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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