DILG shut down Lucky South 99

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) shut down Lucky South 99 in September 2022, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC). The PAOCC said the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub, located in a 5.8-hectare fenced complex along Friendship Highway in Porac, Pampanga province, had resumed operation without a license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. since late last year¹.

The closure came to public attention again after authorities raided the compound. The PAOCC first raided the site on June 4, and carried out a second raid on June 5. More than 190 Filipino and foreign workers were rescued from Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc., including 158 foreign and 36 Filipino workers¹.

Porac mayor Jaime Capil denied suggestions that he protected the operator. He said his office did not issue a business permit to Lucky South 99 because it was on the negative list of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The Porac public information office said no mayor's permit was issued to Lucky South for 2024, and that the company's failure to comply with mandatory requirements resulted in the nonrenewal of its permit¹.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the commission would check whether local government officials were negligent, and that it was up to the DILG to investigate them¹.

What it means for players

The case concerns an operator that the DILG had already shut down in 2022 and that the PAOCC says was running without a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. license from late last year¹. For anyone gambling in the Philippines, locally or as a visitor, that means the venue was not operating under a current national gaming license during that period, whatever permits or lack of permits the local government recorded. The Porac government said it issued no mayor's permit for 2024¹. Players who used or considered such venues have no licensing body standing behind the games, and the reported rescue of workers points to conditions inside the compound rather than a regulated gaming floor. General guidance on identifying unlicensed operators and reporting problems is in our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia, and the wider licensing picture is set out in Can I Gamble in the Philippines?.

What happens next

Lawmakers renewed calls to ban Pogos.

• Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged the government to declare Pogos a serious threat to national security¹
• Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez called on colleagues to approve House Resolution No. 1197, which he filed, and House Bill No. 5082 filed by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.¹
• Rodriguez also said the Senate's inquiries should be used to build support for a ban¹

The House committee on games and amusements approved these measures in February¹. No outcome of the DILG investigation into local officials, and no date for further action on the House measures, has been reported¹.