Large groups of foreigners who used to work at Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) left the Philippines in the days before the December 31 deadline for them to depart, the Bureau of Immigration said on December 31, 20241.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the agency had monitored the departures and estimated that only a few thousand workers remained on the final day. She said there would be no extension of the deadline, and that anyone still in the country after it would be blacklisted and deported1.
"Wala na pong extension, (There are no more extensions,) no extensions for this deadline. Anyone who will be left in the country after the December 31 deadline will be blacklisted and deported from the Philippines"
Sandoval said foreigners who worked at legal POGOs and left voluntarily may return, provided they have legitimate reasons such as family in the Philippines, because they are not blacklisted1.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said small-scale POGOs were still operating despite the cancellation of all POGO licenses on December 151. PAOCC said it will continue raids in January and will prioritize POGOs hiding in resorts, describing operators who rent an entire resort for six months to a year. It also plans to look into areas where local officials reported suspicious activity, including a reported case of a truck carrying computers and cables presented as a call center setup but showing no permits1.
What it means for players
The deadline applies to foreign workers of POGOs, not to gambling generally. For foreigners who held POGO jobs, staying past December 31 carries blacklisting and deportation under the immigration position stated here1. Those who left voluntarily and are not blacklisted may be allowed back for legitimate reasons1.
For players, the reported continuation of small-scale POGO operations and January raids means some offshore-facing operations may still be running without licenses, and the status of any individual operator is not established by this report. The Philippines' ban on offshore gaming (POGOs) covers the licensing cancellation. Rules differ for residents, visitors and foreign workers, as set out in which country's gambling law applies to you and can foreign workers gamble in Asia. General entry rules for gambling in the country are in can I gamble in the Philippines and can foreigners gamble in the Philippines.
What happens next
PAOCC said it will continue POGO raids in January, prioritizing operations hiding in resorts, and will examine areas flagged by local officials1. No further deadline extension has been announced1.
