Filipinos love to play, but it’s not an exaggeration – it’s actually backed by hard data. The gaming industry nearly reached $5 billion in the past year, with mobile games, esports, and online platforms at the top of the list.
Now, let’s check out what Filipinos are actually spending their time on!
Mobile Legends Turned the Philippines into a Huge Esports Fan
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang owns the Filipino gaming field. MPL Philippines Season 14 broke viewership records with 1.6 million peak viewers, which is up by 900,000 from the same season in 2023. Filipino teams such as Fnatic, ONIC Philippines, and Team Liquid compete at the highest level, and fans show up in impressive numbers.
The M5 World Championship in Manila drew more than 5 million viewers in December 2023 –that made it the most-watched MLBB event ever at the time. The M6 finals later hit 4.1 million peak viewers. MLBB racked up 475 million hours watched globally in 2024, and Filipino players and coaches now appear on international rosters across the Middle East and beyond.
But why does mobile gaming take the lead here? Well, it’s pretty simple – cheap data plans, affordable smartphones, and a young population. About 30 million Filipinos are between 10 and 24 years old – and that’s 28% of the country. Smartphone sales grew 6.1% over the year in 2024, with nearly 18 million units sold.
Online Casinos and E-Games Pull in Record Revenue
The E-Games and E-Bingo sector exploded in 2024 – revenue jumped 165% to PHP 154.51 billion, making up over 41% of all gross gaming revenue nationwide.
More players are discovering Philippines sites that have unrestricted access to live dealer tables, real money slots, and sports betting. GCash and crypto make deposits painless, while bonuses sweeten the deal – and everything works on mobile, so players aren’t tied to a desktop.
BingoPlus leads the charge, though. The livestream bingo platform surpassed 40 million registered users in 2024, which is double from the previous year. DigiPlus, its parent company, reported revenues soaring 306% to PHP 27.3 billion in 2023. The platform combines regular Filipino games such as tong-its and perya with some new, innovative features. Players deposit with GCash, watch live-streamed draws, and withdraw winnings straight to their e-wallets.
Licensed casinos still pulled in PHP 201 billion last year – but the biggest operators see where things are heading. Solaire, NUSTAR, and others are building online platforms to get online players, while PAGCOR reduced licensing fees to 30% of gross gaming revenue starting January 2025 to encourage more operators to go legit.
E-Sabong Stays Banned Despite Billion-Peso Potential
Not every gaming tradition survived the turn towards online. E-sabong, online cockfighting, brought more than PHP 6 billion per year before authorities banned it in 2022.
Regular sabong in physical cockpits remains legal, as the sport traces back centuries in Filipino culture – but online betting on cockfights is the door that stays shut. So, senators rejected revival proposals last year, calling e-sabong “far worse than POGOs” because it directly targeted ordinary Filipinos.
Some underground platforms still work illegally – PAGCOR found 789 active e-sabong operations in early 2024 despite the ban. But legitimate gaming companies have moved on. They’re chasing the e-bingo and online casino markets instead.
Where Filipino Gaming Goes from Here
The government is betting big on regulated online gaming. PAGCOR transformed into a pure regulatory body in 2025, focusing on oversight rather than running its own casinos. Licensing fees dropped, compliance requirements tightened, and the goal is simple: grow legal gaming while choking out illegal operators.
The E-Games sector generated PHP 114.83 billion in just the first half of 2025, crossing $2 billion for the first time ever.
Filipino gamers aren’t slowing down – and whether they’re grinding ranked matches in Mobile Legends, betting on livestreamed bingo, or spinning slots from their phones, the appetite keeps growing. The infrastructure exists, the players are very active, and the industry is only getting bigger.
