Philippine president orders ban on offshore gaming operators

President Marcos has ordered PAGCOR to wind down operations by the end of the year.

The Philippines.- President Ferdinand Marcos has ordered a ban on offshore gaming operators (formerly known as POGOs). Announcing the order during his third State of the Nation Address, Marcos said he had made the decision after hearing pleas from senators and citizens.

“The disorder they create in our society and their desecration of our country should be stopped,” Marcos said. He ordered the state regulator-cum-gaming operating the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) to wind down the operations by the end of the year.

Marcos said the labour department, in collaboration with the economic managers, would seek new employment opportunities for Filipino workers who may face displacement following the ban.

Mainly Chinese-run Philippine offshore gaming operators generated a boom in the country’s property market and were supposed to contribute to employment and tax revenue. However, while PAGCOR has claimed that many operate as legitimate businesses, there has been a series of scandals involving human trafficking, forced labour and cases of operators being a front for online scams.

Marcos said that many operated under the facade of legitimate establishments while engaging in unlawful activities in non-gaming sectors, such as financial fraud, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking and kidnapping. The issues reached a head with the rescue of 875 people in a raid on a centre in Bamban, Tarlac, in March. The business has been associated with Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban, Tarlac.

See also: PNP launches task force to tackle illegal offshore gaming operators

Senator Risa Hontiveros was among those who welcomed the president’s decision. She said: “POGOs have brought innumerable and unspeakable social ills into the country. I commend the President for his resolute pronouncement. Our Senate hearings will continue to demand accountability. We will also continue to ensure that we strengthen policies that would prevent industries like POGOs from ever emerging again.”

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, another long-time opponent, said: “I thank the President for heeding the call of our people to ban all POGO operations in the country. This is a victory for all peace-loving Filipinos. With the imposition of the ban, the country is now better positioned to achieve stronger, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth moving forward.

“I join the call of the President on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. as well as other concerned agencies including the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Labor and Employment to facilitate closer coordination for an orderly and peaceful conclusion of POGO operations in the country. I want to assure Filipino workers who will be adversely affected by the ban that I will personally ensure that they receive the appropriate support to tide them over.”