The Department of Justice confirmed that the 41 licensed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators under the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. have agreed to halt operations by the end of 2024, in compliance with President Marcos' directive to ban all POGOs in the country1. The DOJ is part of the newly formed Task Force POGO Closure, which met for the first time on Wednesday to discuss implementation of the shutdown1.
The task force also includes PAGCOR, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Bureau of Immigration1. It aims to ensure the ban is carried out without sacrificing the welfare of affected workers, and is expected to oversee implementation before the year ends, ensuring all POGO-related activities are completely stopped by 20251.
The operators' move follows the President's order during his third State of the Nation Address last July, where he called for the banning of POGOs1. PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco warned that while the initial closure is underway, the real challenge will come in 2025, when some operators may attempt to continue illegal operations1.
The DOJ has set a deadline of Oct. 15 for foreign workers employed by POGOs to voluntarily leave the country1. All pre-arranged employment visas, or 9G visas, held by foreign POGO workers will be downgraded to tourist visas by Oct. 16, giving them 60 days to leave the Philippines, and non-compliance will lead to involuntary repatriation1.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| Oct. 15 | Deadline for foreign POGO workers to leave voluntarily |
| Oct. 16 | 9G visas downgraded to tourist visas, with 60 days to depart |
| End of 2024 | 41 licensed POGOs to cease operations |
| 2025 | All POGO-related activities to be completely stopped |
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez stressed the importance of a streamlined and systematic approach in implementing the ban, while Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reiterated the government's commitment to enforcing the law1.
"The harm and danger fueled by illegal POGO activities have undeniably placed public safety and national security at risk for quite some time, and justice will never take these matters sitting down."
What it means for players
The shutdown covers the 41 PAGCOR-licensed offshore operators that served customers abroad, not domestic gambling. Players who held accounts with those operators face the loss of service as the licensees close through the end of 2024. The visa measures apply to foreign nationals employed by POGO firms, not to tourists or residents gambling in the Philippines. PAGCOR-licensed land-based casinos, electronic gaming and other domestic outlets are not part of the 41 operators named in the closure. The government has said it expects some operators to keep running illegally in 2025, which means any site still offering POGO-style play after the deadline is doing so outside the licensed framework. Details of how player balances or pending withdrawals at closing operators will be handled have not been reported.
What happens next
Foreign POGO workers have until Oct. 15 to leave voluntarily, after which their 9G visas are downgraded to tourist visas on Oct. 16 with 60 days to depart1. The task force is to oversee the closure through the end of 2024, with all POGO-related activity to stop by 20251. PAGCOR has said it expects attempts to continue illegal operations next year1.
For background on the ban and what it covers, see The Philippines' Ban on Offshore Gaming (POGOs) and Can I Gamble in the Philippines?. For how the rules compare across the region, see Online Gambling in Asia: The Law for Players in 12 Jurisdictions.
Sources1 sources
- 41 POGOs to close by end of 2024 | Philstar.com, philstar.com
