Executive Order No. 74 signed banning POGO/IGL and other offshore gaming operations

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 74 in Manila on 5 November 2024, imposing what the order calls an "immediate ban" on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) and other offshore gaming operations¹. The order was published in the Official Gazette and took effect immediately after publication¹.

The order covers POGO licensees, gaming agents and service providers, and IGLs, defined as business-to-consumer licensees catering exclusively to offshore or foreign players¹. Offshore gaming operations are defined as online games of chance limited to livestreamed electronic casino games, online random number generator games and online sports betting, offered exclusively and directly to players located outside the Philippines¹. The order states this definition excludes online games of chance conducted in PAGCOR-operated casinos, licensed casinos, or integrated resorts with junket agreements¹.

Under Section 2, applications for new licenses, permits or authorizations "shall no longer be allowed," and existing licenses "shall no longer be renewed or extended"¹. Licensed operators and related service providers "shall completely cease operations, including the winding up of their affairs, on 31 December 2024 or earlier"¹. Operators without the necessary license are classified as illegal gambling entities under Executive Order No. 12 (s. 2017) and fall under the existing crackdown on illegal gambling¹. The order also states that no offshore gaming license shall be issued by the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, and that licenses it issued transfer to PAGCOR for regulation and monitoring¹.

The order cites a Department of Finance study finding that risks such as increased crime rates, social instability and exploitation of vulnerable people "significantly outweigh the economic and social benefits derived from the POGO industry," and an Anti-Money Laundering Council report identifying POGOs as susceptible to money laundering and fraud¹. It traces the ban to a pronouncement during the State of the Nation Address on 22 July 2024¹.

Two technical working groups were convened. The TWG on Employment Recovery and Reintegration, chaired by PAGCOR with the Department of Labor and Employment as vice chairperson, is to address the economic impact and provide upskilling and reskilling for displaced Filipino workers¹. The TWG on Anti-Illegal Offshore Gaming Operations, chaired by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission with the Department of Justice as vice chairperson, is to intensify the crackdown, investigate individuals involved in illegal activities, prosecute violators and, where appropriate, deport foreigners employed in the industry¹. Both groups are to submit monthly reports, and final reports on the complete cessation and winding up of operations on 31 December 2024².

By 19 November 2024, the Bureau of Immigration said 21,757 foreign POGO workers had filed to downgrade their visas, of whom 10,821 had left the country⁴. Visa downgrading reverts a work visa to a temporary visitor visa, allowing legal stay for a 59-day period⁴. Citing PAGCOR and labor department data, the Department of Finance earlier found there were 66,547 POGO employees in the country as of 2023, of whom 41,347 were foreign nationals and 25,200 Filipinos⁴. On 15 December 2024, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco's announced revocation of the remaining POGO licenses took effect; the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission's Gilbert Cruz said around 20 POGOs were still operating based on PAGCOR data, and that all POGOs and IGLs were expected to cease by January³.

What it means for players

The ban targets offshore operators serving customers outside the Philippines, not domestic gambling. The order's own definition excludes online games of chance conducted in PAGCOR-operated casinos, licensed casinos, or integrated resorts with junket agreements¹, so land-based casinos and integrated resorts in the Philippines are not covered by the cessation requirement. Players using POGO or IGL sites licensed in the Philippines are dealing with entities that were required to stop operating by 31 December 2024 and whose licenses were revoked from 15 December 2024¹. The order states that operators without a valid license are illegal gambling entities subject to law enforcement crackdown¹, and that anyone who participates in, supports, finances, abets or aids illegal offshore gaming operations shall be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law². How the ban affects players located outside the Philippines, and whether offshore sites continue to accept them, has not been reported in these sources.

What happens next

The order required licensed operators to complete cessation and winding up by 31 December 2024¹, with the two technical working groups submitting monthly reports and final reports on that cessation². PAGCOR and the Bureau of Internal Revenue were directed to expedite collection of applicable fees and taxes related to the offshore gaming industry¹. The order states that the ban on POGOs and internet gaming licenses covers illegal offshore gaming activities, new license applications, renewals and the discontinuation of operations⁴.