Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said on Thursday, October 22, 2026, that scam operations in the Philippines remain a concern and that a resurgence of illegal activities is still possible, despite the country's ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators1.
Ty said recent raids have generally involved smaller operations than the sprawling, multi-building compounds previously uncovered by authorities, with some cases involving small-scale or even single-room operations1. He also noted a shift in the nationalities of foreigners found in these operations: while earlier raids uncovered a wider mix of nationalities, more recent cases reportedly involved mostly Chinese nationals1. Ty cited possible explanations, including scam operators targeting Chinese who entered the country without visas or who have visas but have overstayed, but the DOJ was still compiling the relevant figures1.
The ban dates to July 2024, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the shutdown of all POGO operations during his third State of the Nation Address, citing criminal activities associated with the industry, including kidnapping, murder, human trafficking, financial scams, money laundering and prostitution1. The Bureau of Immigration then gave foreign POGO and Internet Gaming Licensee workers 60 days to leave the country and stopped accepting new or pending visa applications for affected workers1. Republic Act 12312, known as the Anti-POGO Act of 2025 and signed by Marcos on Oct. 23, 2025, codified the offshore gaming ban, criminalizing activities such as managing POGO hubs, offering gaming services and permitting the use of properties for these prohibited operations1. The government has since strengthened the legal mechanisms for enforcing the ban and recovering assets linked to illegal offshore gaming1.
On enforcement, Ty pointed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, which together with law enforcement and other government agencies can help coordinate raids, rescue trafficking victims and facilitate the referral of rescued individuals to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for assistance1. The Bureau of Immigration may also be involved in the repatriation or deportation of foreigners, where applicable1. Ty emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating trafficking, particularly as Filipinos continue to be rescued from scam operations in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia1.
"Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty on Thursday acknowledged that scam operations remained a concern"
What it means for players
The Philippines banned offshore gaming operators in 2024 and wrote the ban into law in 2025, so POGOs in the Philippines are illegal, and the law criminalizes managing hubs, offering gaming services and letting properties be used for them1. For anyone in the country, that means the legal offshore operators that once served foreign bettors are gone, and the activity the DOJ now describes is criminal rather than licensed.
The DOJ's warning concerns scam compounds and scam hub towns, which are tied to trafficking and financial fraud rather than to licensed betting. Recent cases reportedly involved mostly Chinese nationals, often people who entered without visas or overstayed1. The same pattern appears across the region, with Filipinos rescued from scam operations in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia1, which is covered in gambling scams in Asia and in gambling in Cambodia.
For locals, expats and visitors, the practical point is that the operations the DOJ describes are illegal and linked to trafficking, and the agencies named handle rescues, referrals and deportations1. Licensed gambling in the Philippines is a separate matter from these operations.
What happens next
The DOJ was still compiling figures on the nationalities of foreigners found in recent operations, and no date has been given for their release1. No further raids, charges or policy steps were announced1.
Sources1 sources
- DOJ warns of possible POGO resurgence, scam hubs | The Manila Times, manilatimes.net
