Philippines warns of illegal POGO resurgence
Authorities are targeting alleged security networks, immigration loopholes and property owners as illegal operators shift to smaller premises.
Key takeaways:
- The Philippine Department of Justice has warned that illegal offshore gaming operators could resurge despite the nationwide ban.
- Operators have shifted from large gaming compounds to decentralised setups, including operations based in single residential rooms.
- Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said some operators were using visa loopholes or overstaying their permits.
- Authorities are investigating dismissed police and military personnel allegedly hired to provide security for clandestine operations.
- Landlords and property managers who knowingly lease premises to unauthorised gaming or scam operations face potential legal liabilities and asset seizures under anti-trafficking laws.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) has warned that illegal offshore gaming operations are continuing to adapt and could resurge despite the nationwide ban codified under the Anti-POGO Act of 2025. Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said that while enforcement actions have successfully dismantled massive, multi-building gaming compounds, illicit operators have shifted to decentralised, small-scale setups to evade detection.
Recent raids have uncovered micro-operations, including some functioning out of single residential rooms, primarily run by Chinese nationals who entered the country through visa loopholes or overstayed their permits. Rather than closing down entirely after the presidential prohibition, many syndicates opted to fracture into smaller cells that share infrastructure, making detection by traditional regulatory oversight and standard law enforcement sweeps far more difficult.
The Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police are pursuing dismissed police and military personnel who have allegedly been hired as private security to shield these clandestine setups from inspections. At the same time, the government is tightening oversight on immigration and property leasing to cut off essential resources for non-compliant businesses. Commercial landlords and property managers now face severe legal liabilities and potential asset seizures under federal anti-trafficking statutes if they knowingly lease space to unauthorised online gaming or scam operations.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Are POGOs still operating in the Philippines despite the ban? Yes. The DOJ says illegal offshore gaming operations continue to function by shifting to smaller, decentralised setups that are harder to detect.
- How are illegal POGOs evading the Philippine ban? Some operators have moved from large gaming compounds into smaller premises, including individual residential rooms, while sharing infrastructure across decentralised networks.
- Who is the Philippine government targeting beyond illegal gaming operators? Authorities are pursuing dismissed police and military personnel allegedly hired to provide security, alongside tightening immigration oversight and scrutiny of property leasing.
- Can landlords face penalties for renting property to illegal POGOs? Yes. Landlords and property managers who knowingly lease premises to unauthorised gaming or scam operations may face legal liabilities and asset seizures under applicable anti-trafficking statutes.
