Games and Amusements Board

What Games and Amusements Board does

The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) is a Philippine government regulatory agency operating under the Office of the President, established in 1951 via Executive Order No. 392. GAB holds exclusive statutory authority to supervise and regulate professional sports in the Philippines, including professional basketball (PBA, MPBL), boxing, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, wrestling, horse racing betting, cockfighting (international derbies only), and an additional roster of disciplines such as billiards, bowling, tennis, darts, e-sports, chess, and cycling. The agency also operates the Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit (AIGU), which exercises law enforcement powers against illegal bookie joints and organized gambling connected to play-for-pay sports.

The agency's service delivery is organized through three operational divisions — Professional Sports and Games, Boxing and Other Contact Sports, and Horse Racing Betting Supervision — supported by Legal, Administrative and Finance, and Medical sections. Service access is delivered through a central office in Makati City and five regional extension offices in Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and Zamboanga, with a digital channel via the GAB Online Application Portal (portal.gab.gov.ph). The portal integrates with the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) for identity verification and is supported by the BOCSRIS cloud-hosted records system for boxing and contact sports athlete documentation. The agency is pursuing ISO 9001:2015 certification and operates a WCAG 2.0 Level A accessible website.

GAB's revenue mechanics combine annual national government budgetary appropriations with fee-based revenue from professional licensing (athletes, coaches, managers, referees, officiating personnel across sport categories), event permit issuance (contests, international derbies), and horse racing betting supervision. Pricing follows published fee schedules per sport, billed primarily on an annual cadence. The customer base comprises ~165+ professional sports organizations and individual practitioners, including enterprise clients such as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), Philippine Jockey Club (PJCI), and HAPI Jockey Club, alongside a long tail of individually licensed athletes. Marketing and stakeholder engagement are conducted through the official website, social media channels, press releases, capability-building seminars, and the annual Women in Professional Sports Award (WPSA).

Name

Games and Amusements Board

Legal name

Games and Amusements Board

Website

https://gab.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Games and Amusements Board is a Philippine government agency under the Office of the President that regulates and supervises professional sports and betting nationwide, serving professional leagues, athletes, coaches, and horse racing operators through licensing, permits, and enforcement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Regulatory Services

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity) (MPAKAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE), Racing Associations, Governance & Integrity Services (MPAEADAL), Regulatory Investigations, Enforcement Response & Legal Representation (MPAEAOAM), Responsible Gambling & Player Protection Solutions (MPAEACAJ)

Keywords

• Professional sports regulation
• Sports licensing and permits
• Horse racing betting supervision
• Anti-illegal gambling enforcement
• Government regulatory agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Makati

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing Fees: GAB collects fees for issuing and renewing licenses to professional sports practitioners including boxers, athletes, coaches, managers, referees, and other officiating personnel. Fees vary by sport category (Professional Basketball, Boxing, MMA, Horse Racing, etc.)
2. Permit Fees: GAB charges fees for permits to hold professional sports contests and competitions, including international derbies and cockfight events
3. Government Appropriations: As a government agency under the Office of the President, GAB receives annual budgetary appropriations from the national government

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Games and Amusements Board is the Philippine government regulatory agency that supervises and regulates all professional sports and games in the country, issuing licenses to professional athletes, coaches, managers, referees, and officiating personnel, and granting permits for professional sports contests and international cockfight derbies. It also supervises horse racing betting operations and combats illegal gambling connected with play-for-pay sports through its Anti-Illegal Gambling Unit (AIGU). Services are delivered through a central office in Makati City, five regional extension offices, and an online application portal.

Product overview

GAB does not offer a commercial technology product in the traditional sense; rather, it provides regulatory services and a government licensing portal. The core offering is the GAB Online Portal (portal.gab.gov.ph), a web-based application system for professional sports licensing and permit management. Supporting this are three operational divisions covering Professional Sports and Games (basketball, volleyball, boxing, MMA, horse racing, and other sports), each providing licensing, supervision, and regulatory enforcement. The divisions collectively regulate and issue licenses to professional athletes, officials, and organizations across professional sports disciplines in the Philippines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GAB Online Application Portal A web-based portal enabling online submission and processing of professional sports licensing and permit applications for athletes, officials, and organizations under GAB's jurisdiction.
• Professional Sports and Games Division Services Regulatory oversight and licensing services for professional basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, bowling, billiards, darts, cycling, chess, triathlon, motocross, Jetski, and other professional sports under GAB jurisdiction.
• Boxing and Other Contact Sports Division Services Regulatory oversight and licensing services for professional boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, and juego todo contact sports.
• Horse Racing Betting Supervision Division Services Supervision and regulation of betting operations in horse racing, including issuance of permits to racing clubs and licensing of jockeys and race officials, wager verification, and dividend computation.
• Cockfighting (International Derby) Services Supervision of international cockfight derbies, accreditation of cockpit officiating personnel, and policy guidelines for importation of foreign-bred gamecocks. (Note: local cockfight license issuance terminated in August 2024.)
• Anti-Illegal Gambling Operations (AIGU) Law enforcement functions combatting illegal bookie joints and organized illegal gambling operations connected with play-for-pay sports and amusement games.

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Powerline Events ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026GAB and representatives of Powerline Events Management discussed preparations for the B.LEAGUE Manila Games 2026. Powerline Events Management serves as an event organizer bringing Japanese professional basketball to the Philippines.
• Japan B.LEAGUEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2026B.LEAGUE Manila Games 2026 - GAB is coordinating with Japanese basketball league representatives for the Manila Games event. B.LEAGUE is Japan's professional basketball league bringing games to Philippine audiences.
• Philippine Jockey Club, Inc. (PJCI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026PJCI Chief Operating Officer made a courtesy visit to GAB Central Office. GAB works with PJCI on horse racing betting supervision, with new betting schemes nearing completion. PJCI is a major horse racing operator in the Philippines.
• Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM)coreOthers · 11 May 2026PHILRACOM Chairman paid a courtesy visit to GAB Chairman to discuss horse racing governance. The visit highlights the ongoing collaborative relationship between the two regulatory bodies overseeing horse racing in the Philippines.
• HAPI Jockey Club, Inc. (HJCI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025GAB Chairman held a fruitful meeting with HAPI Jockey Club representatives to discuss horse racing governance and supervision matters. HJCI is a key horse racing stakeholder under GAB's regulatory oversight.
• Philippine Racing Commission (PRC)coreOthers · 20 March 1974GAB and Philippine Racing Commission share jurisdiction over horse racing under Presidential Decree No. 420. GAB maintains authority over the betting aspect of horse racing while PRC oversees the sports aspect. This check and balance arrangement was established to prevent anomalies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nevada Gaming Control Board: U.S. state-level gaming regulator covering casinos and sports betting in Nevada. Comparable as an established governmental gambling regulator with law enforcement powers, although its jurisdiction covers casino gaming rather than professional sports per se.
• Malta Gaming Authority: European Union member-state regulator overseeing gambling, including sports betting, from Malta. Comparable as a gambling and sports betting regulator, but with a stronger international licensing footprint than GAB's domestic-only mandate.
• UK Gambling Commission: United Kingdom's national regulator for gambling, including sports betting integrity. Comparable as a well-resourced gambling and sports betting regulator, although operating in a more mature jurisdiction with broader gambling authority than GAB.

Direct peers

• Philippine Sports Commission (PSC): National government agency for Philippine sports development, including grassroots and national athletes. Comparable as a Philippine government sports agency, although PSC focuses on athlete development and national team funding while GAB focuses on professional sports regulation.
• Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM): Philippine government agency that shares regulatory jurisdiction with GAB over horse racing under Presidential Decree No. 420 (GAB oversees the betting aspect, PHILRACOM oversees the sports aspect). Directly comparable in mandate, governmental structure, and Philippine sports regulatory domain.
• Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR): State-owned Philippine gaming regulator that oversees casinos, e-games, and other gaming operations outside GAB's professional sports betting scope. Comparable as a Philippine government gambling regulator with overlapping but distinct jurisdiction, and a far larger revenue base.

Emerging players

• World Boxing Council (WBC): International professional boxing sanctioning body that licenses and ranks professional boxers worldwide. Comparable as a sport-specific sanctioning and integrity body for professional boxing, which is also one of GAB's core regulated disciplines under its Boxing and Other Contact Sports Division.

Others

• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA): International independent agency that coordinates anti-doping efforts across sports. Comparable only partially because GAB conducts anti-doping oversight within its regulatory scope, while WADA sets global standards and coordinates with national anti-doping organizations.
• Games and Gaming Authority (Malta) / Australia State Regulators: Australian state-level gaming and racing regulators (e.g., Office of Racing Integrity, Liquor & Gaming NSW) that combine horse racing, wagering, and amusement regulation. Comparable as analogous multi-vertical government gaming/sport regulators, but operating under different legislative frameworks and geographies.

Regional players

• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement: U.S. state-level gambling regulator covering casinos and sports betting in New Jersey. Comparable as a governmental gambling regulator with integrity and enforcement functions, but operating in a different geography and legal environment than the Philippines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GamesandAmusementsBoard
• Xx.com/GABPilipinas

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Games and Amusements Board