PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos, Jr. has imposed a ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), citing the need to end the gambling firms’ “grave abuse” of Philippine law.
Marcos received a standing ovation and drew cheers from the audience after declaring the ban in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. Kailangan nang itigil ang panggulo nito sa ating lipunan at paglalapastangan sa ating bansa. (We need to stop the chaos and the blasphemy that they [POGOs] bring into our nation). Effective today (July 22), all POGOs are banned,” he said.
The President instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to “wind down” and terminate the operation of POGOs by the end of 2024.
Last June, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission said the number of illegal POGO operations grew to around 300 hubs, higher than the 48 to 49 legitimate centers that operated with an internet gaming license, which permits an operator to carry out online gaming products.
The Department of Finance recently reaffirmed its stance to ban POGOs, claiming the nation would annually lose P99.52 billion if the gaming centers were allowed to continue operations.
A week before SONA, some senators urged the President to place a total ban on POGOs, saying the firms were involved in several illegal activities, such as cybercrimes, money laundering and human trafficking.
“Naririnig po namin ang malakas na sigaw ng taumbayan laban sa mga POGO (We hear the people’s concerns against POGOs). Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture [and] even murder,” Marcos said.
The President also ordered the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help Filipino workers recover from the job losses caused by the ban.
“The DOLE, in coordination with our economic managers shall use the time between now and then to find new jobs for our countrymen who will be displaced. This will solve many of the problems that we are encountering. ”
According to 2023 data provided by the labor agency, the country has about 52.2% or 25,064 Filipino POGO workers.
The regulation of POGOs began in November 2016 during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term. F
