PAOCC official suggests phasing out offshore gaming operators

Winston Casio has suggested a gradual phase-out rather than an immediate ban.

The Philippines.- Winston Casio, an official from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), has advocated for a phased approach to eliminating offshore gaming operators (previously called POGOS) instead of an immediate ban. He has suggested this would be more effective than an immediate ban but acknowledged that such decisions fall outside his jurisdiction.

Currently, 42 offshore gaming operators operate legally in the Philippines, with one located in Kawit, Cavite, and the remainder in Metro Manila. Casio said the government had cancelled 298 licences but that many of these operators continued to function illegally in vaious regions, including Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Mindanao and Central Visayas.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it will provide security support to PAOCC personnel and officials who have received threats related to illegal gambling operators.  Meanwhile, senate speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez initiated, on July 5, a congressional investigation into criminal activities linked to unauthorised offshore gaming operators.

Romualdez expressed concern illegal operators continued to operate and said the congressional investigation would examine money laundering, human trafficking, and other related offences as well as the effectiveness of current regulations and any gaps that allow operators to evade the law.