Philippine House Speaker Martin Romualdez on July 23 directed Congress to draft legislation giving force to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to ban all Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), and said the measure should stop Pogo operations by the end of the year and prevent future administrations from reviving them1.
Romualdez told the House to harmonize pending measures into a substitute bill and asked the chairs of the committees on public order and safety and games and amusement to make it a priority1. He said the measure should be "ironclad" such that it would not only stop Pogo operations by the end of the year, but should also prevent future administrations from "resurrect[ing] these criminal and illegal activities"1.
The scope of the ban was clarified the same week at a House joint committee hearing. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chair Alejandro Tengco said the ban covers even the 43 remaining legal Pogos, now called internet gaming licensees (IGLs) by the regulator, that hold valid licenses to operate1.
"But the 43 in my jurisdiction, that's clear, I will wind them down"
Tengco said the term IGL came into force after he assumed office last year, when he oversaw stricter regulations for Pogos and rebranded them to remove the "stigma" associated with what the report described as Chinese-centric gaming operators1. He said licensees were placed on a probationary stance and required to reapply, which cut the number from 298 to 43 because many did not qualify1. As of July 16, Pagcor said there were 38 duly licensed IGLs and seven with provisional licenses1. Under questioning, Tengco conceded that Pogos and IGLs were the same and were the ones to be banned1.
Pogo was the official designation for firms operating in the Philippines that offered online gambling services exclusively to markets outside the country, specifically China1. To be legal they had to be licensed by Pagcor and were obliged to bar any individual in the Philippines, Filipino citizens regardless of location, and potential patrons in countries and territories where offshore gambling is illegal from using their services1. The industry has been repeatedly linked to crime syndicates engaged in human trafficking, kidnapping, robbery-extortion, money laundering, online scams and lately, espionage1.
Senate President Francis Escudero said no law, executive order or administrative order is needed to implement the directive, because no EO, AO or law legalized Pogos and a Pagcor license made them legal, so banning them requires only that Pagcor revoke that license1. He added that if the government truly wanted to ban gambling it must cover all forms, saying: "Whether it's Pogo, Pigo, or casinos, let's ban them altogether if we truly believe that they are not doing any good for our society and our fellow citizens"1.
What it means for players
The ban as described by Pagcor covers the 43 licensed operators that serve customers outside the Philippines, not domestic retail gambling1. Pogo and IGL licensees were already required to block people in the Philippines, Filipino citizens wherever they are, and patrons in jurisdictions where offshore gambling is illegal1. The practical effect for players in the Philippines is that the offshore-facing sites licensed under the IGL framework are to be wound down; the status of other forms of gambling is not addressed by the directive as reported1. Senate President Escudero's remark that all forms, including casinos, should be banned if gambling is truly considered harmful was a statement of position, not an announced measure1.
What happens next
President Marcos gave a five-month deadline for all Pogos to leave1. Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said he had spoken with Tengco and agreed to hold an interagency meeting with other offices involved to carry out the order1. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said the five-month period is enough time to identify the major players and foreign employees, and that a database of foreign nationals working in these companies would be crucial to ensure they are subsequently deported to their countries of origin1. Romualdez said the directive would not stop the House investigation into criminal and other illegal activities linked to Pogos, and Escudero said the Senate investigation would likewise continue1.
For background on the ban and how it fits with gambling rules across the region, see The Philippines' Ban on Offshore Gaming (POGOs), Can I Gamble in the Philippines? and Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions.
Sources1 sources
- Pagcor: Pogo ban covers legal gaming hubs or IGLs, newsinfo.inquirer.net
