In September 2022, following reports on a spate of serious crimes, including killings and abductions, the Senate moved to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) nationwide1. That same month, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said illegal Pogo workers would be summarily deported1.
The Senate action came as local governments moved separately against gambling in their own jurisdictions. Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian said the city council had passed three ordinances prohibiting all forms of gambling in the city, including Pogos, and he ordered the suspension of new applications for the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL), online cockfighting, online bingo, and online poker, among others1. Valenzuela City remains without any Pogo establishment but currently has nine STL operators, he noted1. The ordinances penalize violators with fines ranging from P100,000 up to P500,000, according to Councilor Ricar Enriquez, the majority floor leader1.
A ban on Pogos and other forms of online gambling took effect also in Pasig City in December last year1. In signing Ordinance No. 55, series of 2022, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto gave companies running e-games, "e-sabong," e-bingo, online poker and casinos, and computer gaming stations one year to wrap up their operations and leave the city1.
Gatchalian said he signed the ordinances to preempt any of the "social impacts" arising from the proliferation of illegal gambling, such as human trafficking, money laundering, prostitution, and kidnapping1. He recalled that during a raid on an unauthorized cockfight or "tupada" in Barangay Lingunan in May 2021, a teenager was shot dead by the police during the commotion1.
"In my view, Philippine resources end up being used to deal with complaints arising from Pogos."
As of June 2023, there are 33 licensed Pogos listed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.1. From P7.18 billion in 2020 (the first year of the pandemic), the taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue from Pogos and their service providers went down by 46 percent to P3.91 billion in 2021, according to the Department of Finance1.
| Local government | Measure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Valenzuela City | Three ordinances prohibiting all forms of gambling, including Pogos; fines of P100,000 to P500,000 | Passed; no Pogo establishment in the city1 |
| Pasig City | Ordinance No. 55, series of 2022; one year to wind down e-games, e-sabong, e-bingo, online poker and casinos, and computer gaming stations | Took effect December 20221 |
What it means for players
The Senate move was a national-level step, while the Valenzuela and Pasig measures applied within those cities. For anyone gambling in the Philippines, the practical effect described is local: Valenzuela prohibited all forms of gambling in the city, including Pogos, and suspended new applications for STL, online cockfighting, online bingo and online poker1. Pasig gave affected operators one year to wrap up and leave the city under Ordinance No. 551. The status of Pogo operations elsewhere in the country, and how the Senate's nationwide move would be implemented, has not been reported in these accounts. The Philippines' ban on offshore gaming (POGOs) and the wider gambling laws in Asia set out the rules in each jurisdiction, and gambling in the Philippines covers what is legal for locals, expats and visitors.
What happens next
The Senate moved to ban Pogos nationwide in September 2022, and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said illegal Pogo workers would be summarily deported that same month1. No further dated steps are given in the accounts.
Sources1 sources
- Valenzuela bans Pogos, other forms of online gambling | Inquirer News, newsinfo.inquirer.net
