Over the past twenty years, the Philippines has evolved from a country with just one poker room into one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant poker hubs. Today, it is home to dozens of poker clubs, runs its own Asian Poker Tour tournament stage, and has local players who are active on the world’s largest online poker sites. Check out this review of WorldPokerDeals to explore the state of online poker in the Philippines, available poker sites, legal regulations, taxation, and the best opportunities for players ranging from beginners to professionals.
Since online poker is popular in the Philippines, you have plenty of poker sites to play in. Here are some of the top platforms for Filipino poker fans in 2026.
| Best for | Poker Site | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Best Philippines online poker site | GGPoker | 100% up to $600 |
| ✅ Best tournaments | ACR Poker | 100% up to $2,000 |
| ✅ Crypto & Bitcoin | CoinPoker | 150% up to $2,000 |
| ✅ Most reputable | PokerStars | 100% up to $600 |
| ✅ New poker site | BCPoker | 15% up to $200 |
Advantages of our affiliate service:
Contact our manager to get yourself a deal.

GGPoker became the first online poker room to obtain a PAGCOR license, allowing Filipino players to play legally under the supervision of the state regulator. The platform provides access to the world’s largest shared player pool, where Filipino users compete in the same lobbies as players from around the globe.
GGPoker offers nonstop action across all major formats, including NLH, PLO, PLO5, Short Deck, All-In or Fold (AoF), and Rush & Cash. Its tournament lobby also features several exclusive and fast-paced formats such as Spin & Gold (with prizes of up to $1 million), Flip & Go, and Mystery Battle.
For MTT fans, the platform delivers an extensive daily schedule with buy-ins at every level. The flagship tournament series is WSOP Online, where winners of the main events obtain the bracelets.
Most of GGPoker’s bonuses are designed for amateur players:

Stake Poker is a new online poker site launched by one of the most well-known crypto casinos. All games are available directly through the website, with no need to download an additional app.
Stake Poker players prefer full-ring Hold'em games with stakes up to $2.50/$5 to all cash tables. In this format, Stake Poker offers more active tables than many long-established rooms. Additional variants include three Omaha formats: PLO, PLO5, and PLO6.
Multi-table tournaments feature modest guarantees of up to $2,000 and typically attract fields of around 100 players, making the competition rather low.
Stake Poker's bonuses include two jackpots with a combined prize pool of over $1 million.

CoinPoker is a cryptocurrency-based poker site that offers anonymous accounts and a strong focus on player privacy. The poker room leverages modern blockchain technology for both its RNG and transaction systems.
The most popular games run at 7-max No-Limit Hold’em tables, with stakes ranging from ₮0.01/0.02 to ₮1,000/2,000, making the room accessible to players with any bankroll size. Alongside NLH, there is consistent action in PLO and PLO5.
CoinPoker’s tournament schedule mirrors its cash games in variety, with buy-ins spanning from freerolls to major Sunday events featuring ₮5,000 buy-ins and guarantees of up to ₮100,000. High-stakes tournaments can also be reached through step-satellites starting at just ₮5.
Despite a very low rake, CoinPoker provides a generous rakeback system. A 150% deposit bonus of up to $2,000 includes a 50% rakeback. And once the bonus is wagered, all players receive a guaranteed 33% rakeback via the loyalty program.
Since the Filipino poker regulations are quite soft, you have a plethora of websites to play on, but at the same time, the more options you have, the harder the choice. To narrow it down, you need to consider a few factors, with the license being the main one. Take some time to find out what authority licensed the room. Then, read through the rules of the platform.
The variety of games is the next factor. Even if you’re a huge fan of Hold’em and Omaha, a few weeks, and you’ll be craving for diversity. Make sure the room you choose is convenient to play in, and a dedicated app would be a plus.
The final factor is bonuses. While a hefty welcome package won’t affect the gameplay, it’s still a nice addition, just like flexible rakeback.
Online gambling in the Philippines is overseen by multiple regulators, which leaves online poker in the legal "gray" zone. PAGCOR handles licensing for domestic operators, POGO regulates offshore companies serving foreign markets, while CEZA and APECO issue licenses within their respective economic zones.
As a result, Filipino players have unrestricted access to major international poker sites such as PokerStars, GGPoker, WPN, each operating without local licenses but placing no limitations on players.
Despite the regulatory complexity, poker remains extremely popular in the country. Manila regularly hosts major tournaments, including the Filipino Poker Tour, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT), and the Asian Poker Tour (APT), sustaining strong interest in the game and reinforcing the Philippines’ status as a leading poker hub in Asia.
Overall, gambling (and poker in particular) are legal in the Philippines based on the Presidential Decree No.1067-a of 1975. The Decree set up the work of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and outlines the framework for the legality of gambling.
While there are no specific Philippine poker laws regulating the online area, the game is regulated by the Executive Order No.13 from 2017. According to it, all offshore and Filipino sites must receive a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) license from the PAGCOR that allows providing gambling services legally but only outside the Philippines. So an operator can obtain a local license, but it still won’t be able to accept Filipino players (being the case of the most famous Asian network: IDNPoker).
However, current legislation does not directly regulate offshore poker sites. While such platforms are not officially licensed to operate in the country, Filipino players are still free to access and use international poker sites without restrictions.
A big plus of poker platforms in the Philippines being international is the wide array of payment methods. You’re free to cash in and out using the following options:
On top of that, you may have the option of depositing and withdrawing with crypto, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether, Doge, and more.
| Method | Deposits | Withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| E-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz, GCash, GrabPay) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Prepaid cards (AstroPay) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
| Bank cards (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Limited |
| Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether, Dogecoin) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Bank transfer | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Yes |
In terms of currencies, most poker sites operate in US dollars (USD), with deposits made in Philippine pesos (PHP) automatically converted to the account currency.
According to the Filipino tax code, all winnings of up to PHP 10,000 are subject to a levy between 5% and 10%. All winnings starting at PHP 10,001 are levied at 20%. However, these rates only apply to land-based games and lotteries. Winnings from international online platforms are generally tax-free.
The poker scene in the Philippines is growing rapidly and includes dozens of live venues. Across the country, there are around 20 permanent poker clubs and about 60 casinos that regularly host cash games and tournaments. Most of these venues are licensed by PAGCOR, with standard rake typically set at around 10%.
Manila serves as the hub of live poker in the country and is home to the most well-known venues:
Live poker remains a popular part of local culture, attracting both Filipino and international players.

Considering that poker officially came to the Philippines less than 20 years ago, the country has made quite a progress, with the total amount won by players in live circuits reaching $30.7M. At the moment, the Philippines ranks 45th on the all-time money list by The Hendon Mob. The top Filipino players are:
James Mendoza recorded his first live tournament cash in 2012, but his first breakthrough came a decade later with a victory in the APPT Manila Super High Roller, earning $111,841.
Mendoza’s true career-defining year was 2025, when a series of standout results pushed him to the top of the Philippines All-Time Money List. He finished third in a $7,300 WSOP event for $336,594 and followed it up with two successful games at Triton Poker tournaments in Korea:
Poker in the Philippines is more than just a form of entertainment; it is a fast-growing industry. The country offers a mix of major live tournaments, a vibrant local community, and unrestricted access to leading international poker rooms. Players can enjoy live action in Manila or play online at GGPoker, PokerStars, CoinPoker, where the game never stops.
The WorldPokerDeals team helps Filipino players discover trustworthy poker site, generous bonuses, and consistent rakeback options — everything needed to make every poker session as rewarding and enjoyable as possible.
Let’s tackle some of the most popular questions.
Playing poker online from a macOS computer is no longer a challenge in 2026. It is no longer nece...
In general, we could consider that PayPal is not a very friendly payment processor for online pok...
One of the northernmost countries in Europe, Finland is the eighth-largest in the region, with a ...
PokerStars did not have rakeback for many years. Therefore, offering sites like PokerStars became...