Quick answer

You can voluntarily bar yourself from gambling at all establishments and sites operated, licensed, or regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) by applying for self-exclusion.

Choose an exclusion period of six months, one year, or five years, complete PAGCOR’s current Self-Exclusion Application Form, and submit it with:

A photocopy of a government-issued photo ID showing your signature and birth date
Two recent 2×2 color photographs
Identity confirmation through a selfie or video call if you do not submit the application personally

Applications may be emailed to ResponsibleGaming@pagcor.ph or placed in PAGCOR’s drop box at its corporate office in Pasay City. PAGCOR also maintains an online self-exclusion portal.

The exclusion cannot be revoked during its first six months. Once effective, your identifying details will be shared with covered gaming operators for enforcement and recorded in PAGCOR’s National Database of Restricted Persons.

What self-exclusion does

Self-exclusion is a voluntary protective measure for a person who wants to stop or control harmful gambling. It is not a criminal proceeding and does not require proof of a psychiatric diagnosis, unpaid debt, or wrongdoing.

According to PAGCOR’s current form, an exclusion order bars the applicant from entering or gambling at establishments and sites operated, licensed, or regulated by PAGCOR. This may include covered casinos, e-Games, e-Bingo, sports-betting operations, and poker clubs.

The order is intended to apply across the PAGCOR-regulated network, not merely to the casino or website where the application was filed. The applicant’s name and relevant particulars are entered in the National Database of Restricted Persons, which covered operators use to identify people who may not enter or play.

The order does not necessarily reach:

Illegal or unlicensed gambling operations
Operators outside PAGCOR’s regulatory jurisdiction
Products governed by another regulator, unless that regulator or operator separately recognizes the exclusion
Informal betting between private individuals

If you use several gambling platforms, separately close each account and ask each operator to impose its strongest available account block while PAGCOR processes the national application.

Choose the exclusion period carefully

PAGCOR’s current options for self-exclusion are:

Period selected	What it means
Six months	The entire selected period falls within the irrevocable minimum
One year	The order cannot be withdrawn during the first six months; any later request to shorten or otherwise amend it is subject to PAGCOR’s applicable procedure and approval
Five years	The order cannot be withdrawn during the first six months; any later amendment is not automatic

The order is lifted automatically when the approved period expires unless you reapply or obtain an extension.

Do not select a longer period on the assumption that you can cancel it whenever you want. PAGCOR’s Responsible Gaming Code permits a Petition to Amend the Exclusion Period only after the six-month irrevocable period, but filing a petition does not guarantee approval.

If continued access to gambling presents an immediate financial or personal danger, the longer period may provide greater protection. The choice remains personal and should reflect your circumstances and support plan.

Documents and information to prepare

Use the latest PAGCOR Self-Exclusion Application Form, identified as RG Form 2.

Prepare the following:

Completed and signed RG Form 2

Write legibly in block letters. Indicate whether the filing is a new application or reapplication, provide complete personal and contact information, and select one exclusion period.
Photocopy of a government-issued photo ID

The current form requires an ID showing your photograph, signature, and birth date. Make sure the copy is clear and that the form uses the same name and personal details shown on the ID.
Two 2×2 color photographs

Each photograph should:
- Be clear
- Have been taken within the six months before the application
- Show a full-face view looking directly at the camera
- Show you without a hat, glasses, face mask, or other facial accessory
Identity confirmation for non-personal submission

If you submit by email, courier, or another non-personal method, PAGCOR requires confirmation through a selfie or video call. Follow the instructions given by PAGCOR and use only an official PAGCOR channel.

Incomplete requirements may delay or prevent processing.

How to submit the application

Option 1: Use PAGCOR’s online portal

PAGCOR maintains a Self-Exclusion Portal for requests to restrict access to gaming sites and establishments.

Follow the portal’s current instructions and retain a screenshot or other proof that your request was successfully submitted. If the portal is unavailable or does not provide confirmation, use one of the submission methods published on PAGCOR’s Responsible Gaming page.

Option 2: Submit by email

Send the signed form and clear copies of all requirements to:

ResponsibleGaming@pagcor.ph

Use a clear subject line, such as “Self-Exclusion Application—[Full Name].” Ask PAGCOR to acknowledge receipt and advise you of any identity-verification requirement.

Email contains sensitive identity information. Confirm the address against PAGCOR’s official Responsible Gaming page before sending attachments, particularly if you obtained the address from a message, advertisement, or social-media post.

Option 3: Submit through PAGCOR’s drop box

Place the completed form and requirements in a sealed envelope and deliver them to:

PAGCOR Corporate Office MET Live Building Central Business Park 1-A Macapagal Boulevard corner EDSA Extension Pasay City 1300, Metro Manila

Address the submission to the unit handling applications for exclusion orders. PAGCOR’s current Player Exclusion page identifies its Gaming Licensing and Development Department and publishes the contact numbers (+632) 8521-1542 and (+632) 8522-0299 local 1166.

Before traveling, confirm the receiving location and office arrangements through PAGCOR’s Player Exclusion page, because submission instructions and office details can change.

Option 4: Ask at a covered gaming establishment

PAGCOR states that exclusion forms may also be available at PAGCOR-operated and regulated gaming sites. Ask for the responsible-gaming help desk or representative.

A casino responsible-gaming kiosk or help desk should be able to provide the form and explain submission. Confirm that the application will be processed as a PAGCOR-wide exclusion rather than only as an internal ban at that particular establishment.

What to do after submitting

Do not assume that sending the form instantly activates the order. Ask PAGCOR for written confirmation of:

Receipt of the application
Whether the requirements are complete
The effective date
The expiration date
The approved exclusion period
Any reference or case number
Whether further identity verification is required

Until PAGCOR confirms activation, treat the application as pending. During that period:

Stop visiting gaming venues and websites
Close or suspend gambling accounts directly with each operator
Uninstall gambling applications
Opt out of promotional messages
Remove stored payment methods
Ask banks and e-wallet providers whether they offer relevant spending controls
Place essential household funds in an account or arrangement that is harder to use impulsively
Tell a trusted person who can help you follow the plan

These additional safeguards do not replace the PAGCOR order, but they can reduce the risk of gambling before and after it takes effect.

What happens while the order is active

Covered gaming operators should use the National Database of Restricted Persons and their own controls to prevent an excluded person from entering or playing.

PAGCOR’s current application expressly warns that an excluded person is not eligible to collect winnings or recover losses arising from gambling during the exclusion period. Do not test the system by attempting to enter, opening another account, changing account details, or using somebody else’s identity.

Self-exclusion is a protective barrier, but no identification system is perfect. If an operator allows you to gamble despite an active order:

Stop playing immediately.
Do not make further deposits or wagers.
Record the operator, branch or website, date, time, account name, and transaction details.
Preserve screenshots, receipts, emails, chat logs, entry records, and the PAGCOR exclusion confirmation.
Report the incident promptly to the operator’s responsible-gaming or complaints unit and to PAGCOR.
Do not assume that winnings are payable or that losses are automatically refundable; the form states the opposite, and the legal result may depend on the governing rules and evidence.

Extending or changing the exclusion

Extension or reapplication

PAGCOR’s published procedure allows a person to apply again using RG Form 2. Its Responsible Gaming Code also states that an extension may be requested for at least six months.

Apply before the current order expires if uninterrupted protection matters. Because the ordinary order is lifted automatically at expiry, leaving the request until the last day may create a gap.

Shortening or amending the period

No amendment may undo the first six months of self-exclusion. After that minimum period, PAGCOR’s Code identifies RG Form 8, Petition to Amend the Exclusion Period, as the applicable request.

An amendment is not automatic. Obtain the current form and instructions directly from PAGCOR, explain the requested change truthfully, and wait for written approval. Continue treating the original order as fully effective unless PAGCOR confirms otherwise.

If you need to exclude a family member

Self-exclusion must be requested by the gambler. If the person will not apply, PAGCOR has a separate family-exclusion process.

A spouse, parent, or child who is at least 18 may apply. The family member is the applicant, while the person to be excluded is the respondent. Family-exclusion periods are six months, one year, or three years, not five years.

The required proof depends on the relationship and ordinarily includes:

The current Family Exclusion Application Form
Identification documents for the applicant and respondent
Two recent 2×2 color photographs of the respondent
A birth certificate when the applicant is a parent or adult child, or a marriage certificate when the applicant is the spouse
Identity confirmation for a non-personal submission

Use the official PAGCOR forms and instructions. Do not sign a self-exclusion form in another person’s name or submit altered identity documents.

Evidence to preserve

Keep a private file containing:

A copy of the signed application
Copies of every attachment
The original digital photo files, if available
The sent email and delivery record
Portal screenshots and confirmation messages
The date, time, and name of any PAGCOR or operator representative contacted
PAGCOR’s acknowledgment and final exclusion order
The effective and expiration dates
Requests to close individual gambling accounts
Relevant bank, e-wallet, deposit, withdrawal, and gambling records
Any evidence of access being permitted after the order became effective

Avoid sending full identity documents through social media or to unofficial “agents.” PAGCOR states that information collected for exclusion should be treated as confidential and not disclosed to third parties unless legally required or authorized by the player.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using an old form instead of the current RG Form 2
Submitting only one photograph when the current form requires two
Providing an ID that does not show the required signature or birth date
Sending blurred, cropped, expired, or unreadable documents
Wearing glasses, a mask, or another facial accessory in the 2×2 photographs
Leaving the exclusion-period box blank
Forgetting to sign or date the form
Assuming an emailed application is already active without confirmation
Believing the order covers every legal or illegal gambling product in the Philippines
Trying to cancel the order during the irrevocable six-month period
Waiting until expiry before seeking an extension
Continuing to gamble while expecting winnings to remain collectible
Treating self-exclusion as the only necessary response to serious debt, distress, or compulsive behavior

When help is urgent

Seek immediate help if gambling has led to thoughts of self-harm, threats or violence, loss of money needed for food or housing, misuse of another person’s funds, criminal conduct, or an inability to stop despite an imminent serious loss.

Move away from gambling access, contact a trusted person, and go to the nearest emergency department or contact emergency services if anyone is in immediate danger.

PAGCOR’s 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline is (02) 8248-9568. PAGCOR states that the line connects callers—including affected family members—to trained counselors for confidential support.

Self-exclusion can restrict gambling access, but it does not by itself treat addiction, repair debt, protect shared property, or resolve possible civil or criminal liability. Depending on the problem, assistance may also be needed from a mental-health professional, accredited treatment center, financial counselor, social worker, or Philippine lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee to apply?

PAGCOR’s published self-exclusion requirements do not identify an application fee. Confirm directly with PAGCOR if anyone asks you to pay. Be cautious of private intermediaries claiming they can guarantee or accelerate approval.

Do I need a lawyer?

Ordinarily, no. The process uses a standard PAGCOR form. Legal advice may be useful if there is a dispute about enforcement, losses incurred during an active order, misuse of family funds, debt, fraud, property rights, or another legal issue.

Can I apply for less than six months?

No. The shortest published self-exclusion period is six months.

Can I cancel after a few days?

No. The first six months are irrevocable.

Does the exclusion end automatically?

Yes. PAGCOR states that the order is lifted automatically when the selected period expires. Reapply or request an extension in advance if you want protection to continue.

Will one application cover every PAGCOR casino and gaming website?

The current form states that the order applies to all establishments and sites operated, licensed, or regulated by PAGCOR. Coverage of a particular operator can depend on its current licence and regulator. Ask PAGCOR if you are uncertain about a specific venue, application, or website.

Will it close my existing online accounts and return my balance?

Do not assume so. Contact each operator immediately about account closure, pending wagers, and legitimate remaining funds. An operator’s treatment of the account and balance may depend on its rules and the timing of the exclusion. PAGCOR’s form states that gambling winnings during the active exclusion are not collectible.

What if I have no 2×2 photographs?

Obtain two photographs meeting the specifications before filing. An incomplete application may not be processed.

Can a family member submit my self-exclusion application?

A non-personal submission is possible, but PAGCOR requires confirmation through a selfie or video call. If the gambler does not consent or will not participate, an eligible relative should consider the separate family-exclusion procedure.

How long does processing take?

PAGCOR’s published materials reviewed for this article do not state a guaranteed processing deadline. Request acknowledgment and an effective-date confirmation rather than relying on an assumed turnaround time.

Where can I verify the current rules?

Use PAGCOR’s Responsible Gaming page, Player Exclusion procedure, current RG Form 2, and Responsible Gaming Code of Practice.

Official sources

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not legal or medical advice. Procedures and the application’s effect may depend on the operator, regulator, documents, and facts involved. Official sources were checked on September 3, 2026; verify the current form and submission instructions with PAGCOR before filing.