Philippines suspends POGO applications
The gaming regulator in the Philippines PAGCOR suspended the POGO applications process and announced it won’t take any further requests.
Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) announced changes regarding gambling hubs that illegally employ Chinese nationals. The gaming regulator in the Philippines won’t take any further POGO applications for new offshore gambling firms.
PAGCOR will “stop first and look at other concerns that we have not met comfortably,” chairwoman Andrea Domingo said. She detailed there are 58 licensed offshore gaming operators in the country, and three applicants await for consideration.
“We will finish the assessments by the end of the year,” ABS CBN News quoted Domingo. “We don’t want problems. We should be able to come up with a viable and good program,” she said.
“We expect to have a little bit of a problem, because of this crackdown (on illegal gaming hubs hiring Chinese nationals). We have to assure them (markets outside Asia) that here, everything is up and above board,” Domingo assured.
Tension with China
China-Philippines relations have been tough lately regarding gambling. That’s why China’s embassy in Manila explained any forms of gambling by its residents in Philippine casinos is illegal.
Online and phone betting in the neighbouring country has bloomed over the last few years. That’s why the Chinese government is worried about the amount of money flowing out of the country.
“A conservative estimate shows that gambling-related funds flowing illegally out of China and into the Philippines amounts to hundreds of millions of yuan every year,” said a Chinese embassy statement. “There are analysts who believe that part of the illegal gambling funds have flown into local real estate markets and other sectors in the Philippines.”
PAGCOR denies targeting China
A controversy sparked over potential licensing in the Philippines for online gaming operators targeting Chinese-nationals. However, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has denied such accusations.
