PAGCOR says gaming regulations must keep pace with AI

“The same technology that can help us detect fraud, identify unusual activity, improve compliance, and make regulatory processes more efficient can also be used to make fraud more sophisticated and harder to detect,” Fernandez said during the CiG iDEA Summit at Hilton Manila in Pasay City.

“The challenge, therefore, is not to resist technology. It is to ensure that our regulatory frameworks evolve alongside it.”

Fernandez said PAGCOR continues to review its policies, consult legitimate industry stakeholders and strengthen coordination with other government agencies as technology changes the gaming landscape.

She said the regulator is also open to new approaches that could improve its framework and make it more responsive to emerging risks.

“We cannot regulate tomorrow’s technology using only yesterday’s assumptions,” Fernandez said.

She added that gaming regulation cannot remain static as online gaming increasingly becomes shaped by technology.

“It must be responsive without being reactionary. It must encourage innovation without losing sight of responsibility. It must protect consumers without unnecessarily restricting legitimate enterprise,” she said.

“And it must preserve the integrity of the regulated market even as new technologies, new business models, and new risks emerge,” Fernandez added.

Fernandez said regulators should not stand in the way of innovation but must ensure that it takes place within a fair, responsible and transparent market that maintains public trust.

The CiG iDEA Summit forms part of the weeklong Inside Asian Gaming Expo, which brings together gaming industry stakeholders for discussions, leadership gatherings and networking activities.

PAGCOR President and Chief Operating Officer Wilma Eisma and Senior Vice President for Land-Based Operations Daniel Cecilio also attended the event.