Philippines President says all POGOs to go by year end

In his state of the nation address on Monday, Philippine President ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr has announced a complete ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

A crackdown on unlicensed operators is already underway with premises across the country being shut down. Operators licensed by government sanctioned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) have been told they have until the end of the year to cease operations.

Marcos didn’t pull any punches during his speech,

“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder…The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop.”

The hardline approach comes after recent raids on illegal POGO operations found equipment used for torture, love scams, and other cyber crimes. Seems illegal online gambling operations were the front for the really dodgy stuff.

There have long been allegations of widespread corruption associated with the industry. Alice Guo the mayor of Bamban, has fled the country after a warrant was issued for her arrest earlier in the month in relation to POGO linked crimes.

Most government departments have come out in support of the ban, including the Philippines National Police and the Department of Finance.

The Bureau of Immigration’s Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Tuesday his department will immediately begin the process of revoking visas granted to foreigner (mostly Chinese) workers employed in POGOs. Work permits issued to the POGO hubs and their foreign employees would be cancelled in coordination with the Department of Labor.

One government body not in support of the ban is PAGCOR. Its CEO Alejandro Tengco has argued tougher regulation of illegal operators would have been the better approach. He also pointed out that 40,000 Filipino employees would be affected by the ban (himself included, although he didn’t mention that).

POGOs were allowed to flourish after a regulatory shakeup in 2016 from then President Rodrigo Duterte.

At its peak, the industry was estimated to employ over 300,000 workers (most from mainland China) and generate over $3 billion for the Philippine economy. But it’s always been rife with crime and corruption causing many to question whether the economic benefits were worth it.

In 2022 authorities began a crackdown on illegal operators. Calls for a complete ban  of the industry (illegal and PAGCOR licensed POGOs) have grown louder since. One of the more vocal campaigners for a ban has been Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. He claims he has been sent multiple death threats for his efforts.