Filipino senators urge president to ban online gambling

Two senators have called for the ban following a raid on an offshore gaming firm linked to human trafficking.

The Philippines.- Two senators in the Philippines are calling on president Ferdinand Marcos Jr to ban online gambling firms in the country following a raid on Xinchuang Network Technology, an offshore gaming firm in Las Piñas City. The raid resulted in the rescue of nearly 3,000 Filipino and foreign nationals.

According to The Straits Times, Risa Hontiveros, one of the senators leading the Senate probe into cryptocurrency scam hubs in Southeast Asia, believes POGOs have turned the Philippines into “a playground for criminal activities and have accumulated billions of unpaid taxes.”

Alongside Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Hontiveros has been investigating the proliferation of cryptocurrency scams that target migrant Filipino workers. The inquiry has revealed that such operations have reached the Philippines, with instances like Sun Valley Hub, a registered POGO, being exposed for running a cryptocurrency scam hub.

The senators have drawn parallels between the operations of Xinchuang and Sun Valley Hub, raising concerns about the oversight of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), which issues licences for POGOs.

A week ago, finance secretary Benjamin Diokno also supported a move to ban POGOs, despite potential implications for government revenue. Diokno highlighted concerns regarding reputational risks and social costs associated with the presence of POGOs but said “We can get revenues from lots of other sources.”