PAGCOR addresses PEZA’s resolution

PAGCOR has released new BPOs after PEZA’s prohibition of iGaming services in its buildings.

Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), major authority of the country’s online gaming market, has addressed latest Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)’s resolution that prohibits online gaming operations in its accredited buildings throughout the Philippines.

PAGCOR has released a new Special Class of BPOs (business process outsourcing companies) in order to comply with PEZA’s regulation. “Since PEZA board will not allow online gaming, they (building owners) should stop allowing the lessee to occupy the accredited buildings. We do not want to ruin the image of the legitimate BPOs locating in our sites,” commented PEZA director general Charito Plaza to Asia Gaming Brief.

Latest Special Class of BPOs includes only product marketing and customer relations and they will demand the payment of an annual accreditation tax of US$100,000, as the newspaper reported. The new regulation, according to PAGCOR’s official statement, establishes that: The applicant provides services to only duly licensed gaming operators abroad; the applicant is duly licensed to do business in the Philippines; the applicant has 90 percent Filipino workforce; and the applicant handles only product marketing and customer relations without handling any of the betting activities of the gaming operator.

“The Special Class of BPOs are those servicing legitimately licensed gaming operators abroad and do not in any way handle betting,” added PAGCOR’s statement.