Jilihh and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority: What It Licenses
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority licenses interactive gaming under Republic Act 7922 through its own arm, First Cagayan; that licence is separate from the Curaçao one Jilihh's footer names.
Key facts and contents
- Jilihh and APECO
- APECO is the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone Authority, created by Republic Act 10083 in 2010, and it holds its own charter to license online gaming operators, separate from CEZA and PAGCOR.
- Jilihh Philippines
- The GCash gambling ban isn't a ban on GCash itself: in August 2025 the BSP directed e-wallets to remove gambling links and icons from their own apps, which doesn't stop a player from reaching a lobby directly through a browser.
- Jilihh and Illegal Gambling Philippines
- Illegal gambling in the Philippines is gambling run without a licence from PAGCOR, CEZA or APECO; Presidential Decree 1602 sets the penalties for it, while a licensed brand operates under one of those three charters.
- Jilihh Players
- The National Privacy Commission, created by Republic Act 10173, takes complaints about personal-data mishandling from any site operating in the Philippines, gambling or otherwise, filed through its own site.
- Jilihh Philippines
- POGO means Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator, a PAGCOR licence category for online gambling aimed at players outside the country; President Marcos announced its ban in the July 2024 SONA, and Executive Order No. 74 ended operations by 31 December 2024.
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority licenses businesses operating inside the Cagayan Freeport in northern Luzon, and interactive gaming has been one of those licensed activities since Republic Act 7922 created the authority in 1995. A CEZA licence is not the same document as a PAGCOR licence or a Curaçao one, and it doesn’t cover a platform just because that platform happens to be reachable online. This page sets out what CEZA actually licenses and how to tell its licence apart from the others a Philippine-facing gambling brand might name.
What the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Licenses
| What CEZA licenses | Legal basis | Distinguishing detail |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses inside the Cagayan Freeport | Republic Act 7922 (1995) | A defined geographic zone in Cagayan, northern Luzon |
| Interactive and offshore-facing gaming operators | RA 7922, via CEZA’s charter | Covers the zone’s registered entities, not every online casino |
| Other freeport enterprises (trade, tourism, IT) | RA 7922 | Non-gaming businesses share the same authority |
None of that licensing power extends automatically to a brand just because a player can reach it online. A CEZA licence names a specific registered entity, the same way a PAGCOR licence or a Curaçao one does, and the three are never interchangeable with one another.
CEZA License: What It Actually Signs Off
A CEZA gaming licence authorizes a registered company to run interactive gaming aimed at players outside the Philippines, operating out of the Cagayan Freeport rather than from PAGCOR’s own casino floors. That’s narrower than it sounds: it covers the licensed entity’s offshore-facing operation, not a blanket approval for every domain that entity might later use. Two platforms can share an owner and only one of them may actually sit inside what a CEZA licence names.
| CEZA licence covers | CEZA licence does not cover |
|---|---|
| The named entity’s offshore-facing interactive gaming operation | Domestic PAGCOR-licensed operations |
| Activity conducted from inside the Cagayan Freeport | A brand’s every later domain or sub-brand |
First Cagayan: CEZA’s Own Licensing Arm
CEZA doesn’t process every interactive gaming application directly.
| Entity | Role |
|---|---|
| CEZA | Holds the zone’s charter authority under RA 7922 |
| First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corporation | Processes interactive gaming licences on CEZA’s behalf |
First Cagayan is the name that actually appears on the paperwork behind a CEZA-licensed operator. Searching for a brand’s CEZA status starts with what First Cagayan has on record, not with CEZA’s general site alone.
How a CEZA Licence Differs From What Jilihh’s Footer Names
| Licence type | Issuing government | Where Jilihh’s footer points |
|---|---|---|
| CEZA gaming licence | Philippines (Cagayan Freeport) | Not named in Jilihh’s footer |
| Curaçao licence | Curaçao | Named in Jilihh’s footer — search the holder on Curaçao’s own register |
| PAGCOR licence | Philippines (national) | Not found on PAGCOR’s 27 August 2026 or 23 September 2026 lists — check pagcor.ph |
That comparison is one part of the wider Jilihh legit check, which covers the footer’s actual claim in full. It’s also worth reading against which forms of gambling the law treats as illegal in the Philippines, since a CEZA licence and an unlicensed operation sit on opposite sides of that same law. For the other zone that licenses gaming outside PAGCOR’s own charter, see what APECO licenses in Aurora province.
FAQ
What does the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority license?
Businesses registered inside the Cagayan Freeport, including interactive and offshore-facing gaming operators, under the charter Republic Act 7922 gave it in 1995.
What is a CEZA license, exactly?
An authorization for a specific registered company to run interactive gaming aimed at players outside the Philippines from within the Cagayan Freeport — a narrower grant than a blanket approval to serve every market.
Who is First Cagayan?
First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corporation is the entity CEZA authorized to process interactive gaming licence applications on the zone's behalf; its name is what actually appears on the paperwork behind a CEZA-licensed operator.
Does Jilihh hold a CEZA licence?
Jilihh's own footer names a Curaçao licence, not a CEZA one. Nothing on this page states or implies that Jilihh holds a CEZA licence.