Authorities raided Lucky South 99 Gaming Corporation in Porac, Pampanga, roughly a year after raiding the POGOs Colorful and Leap Group Company at Sun Valley Hub in Clark in May 20231. The raid on the Porac site is reported alongside the earlier Clark operation in an account of local reactions to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs)1.
Marcos announced the ban in his third State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on Monday, July 22, 20241. "Effective today, all POGOs are banned," he declared, drawing a standing ovation from the audience at Batasang Pambansa1.
"Effective today, all POGOs are banned"
Pampanga officials and business leaders welcomed the decision1. Governor Dennis Pineda said he thanked the President for banning all POGOs, adding that the declaration meant "we are expecting that once and for all, all illegal activities of the Chinese in our country will be stopped"1. Pampanga Chamber of Commerce director Rene Romero said he was "personally delighted," citing what he described as POGOs' negligible economic contributions and controversial operations, and said their negative effects had tarnished the region's reputation as a safe destination for business and investment because of criminal activities such as money laundering1.
Clark Development Corporation President Agnes Devanadera said the decision affirmed the corporation's commitment to upholding Clark's integrity and safety1. She said the CDC had terminated the sub-lease agreement linked to the Sun Valley Hub incident and suspended the processing and application of POGOs and business process outsourcing service providers inside the freeport zone1. Porac Mayor Jaime Capil also backed the ban, saying that despite negative publicity in recent weeks the local government had "consistently and courageously participated in all hearings related to POGOs to uncover the truth"1. Both Devanadera and Capil faced challenges arising from the raided POGOs at Sun Valley Hub in Clark in May 2023 and Lucky South 99 in Porac a year later, and Capil appeared in both the House and Senate probes on raided POGOs1.
| Site | Operator | Raid timing |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley Hub, Clark | Colorful and Leap Group Company | May 20231 |
| Porac, Pampanga | Lucky South 99 Gaming Corporation | About a year after the Clark raid1 |
What it means for players
The ban covers POGOs, the offshore operators that served customers abroad rather than walk-in gamblers in the Philippines1. The reported enforcement actions have centered on the Clark freeport and Porac, both in Pampanga, where the CDC suspended processing and applications for POGOs and business process outsourcing service providers inside the freeport zone1. For anyone in the Philippines assessing where and how to gamble, the practical picture is that the offshore-facing segment named in the ban is the one being shut down and raided, while the announcement as reported does not set out how it applies to other forms of gambling. Details of how the ban is enforced, and what happens to existing operations, licenses and staff, have not been reported in the accounts reviewed. Players who encounter operators advertising Philippine offshore gaming should treat claims about their status as unverified; general guidance on identifying fake sites and reporting problems is in our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia, and the wider licensing picture is covered in Can I gamble in the Philippines?.
What happens next
Marcos said the ban took effect on the day of his address, July 22, 20241. The CDC has already suspended the processing and application of POGOs and business process outsourcing service providers inside the Clark freeport zone1. No further timetable for closures, license cancellations or enforcement steps is given in the account1.
