POGOs Archives - CasinoBeats https://casinobeats.com/tag/pogos/ The pulse of the global gaming industry Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:52:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://casinobeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cropped-favicon-32x32.png POGOs Archives - CasinoBeats https://casinobeats.com/tag/pogos/ 32 32 Presence of POGOs dwindles in the Philippines  https://casinobeats.com/2024/12/12/presence-of-pogos-dwindles-in-the-philippines/ Thu, 12 Dec 2024 09:10:00 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=99218 POGOs in the Philippines have been warned to leave the country by 31 December, as the presence of the offshore gaming firms continues to dwindle in the local market.  Such is the pace of the exodus, PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco used his platform at the forum at the Stratbase ADR Institute to emphasise his belief […]

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POGOs in the Philippines have been warned to leave the country by 31 December, as the presence of the offshore gaming firms continues to dwindle in the local market. 

Such is the pace of the exodus, PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco used his platform at the forum at the Stratbase ADR Institute to emphasise his belief that the presence of POGOs will be finished by 15th December. 

Further intensifying the speed of the departure, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration revealed that it is anticipating around 20,000 former POGO workers to leave the country by the end of the month as time runs out before the ban on the offshore gambling industry goes into effect.

In a statement, the bureau told POGO foreign workers that they must abide by the government’s deadline to leave the country before the end of the year or risk being deported and blacklisted.

According to the agency, as of November 7, a total of 21,757 foreign nationals linked to POGO activities had voluntarily downgraded their work visas to temporary visitor visas, with 10,821 of them having already left the country. Another 12,106 foreign nationals who did not downgrade their visas were issued cancellation orders in October.

BI said it “wants to ensure a smooth and orderly process for affected foreign workers, hence the reminder to respect the deadline. Affected individuals are advised to promptly make all necessary travel arrangements.”

The Executive Order banning POGOs in the Philippines has officially been signed by President Marcos. The decision was originally announced at his State of the Union address in July, where it was met with a rousing reception from those in attendance. 

This latest chapter in Philippines regulation marks the next step in a ‘critical period’ for one of Asia’s most significant gambling ecosystems, as efforts to eradicate offshore betting locations are set to intensify. 

The government has also elevated efforts to ensure that affected Filipino workers aren’t displaced as a result of the ban, with the government assigning  specialist agencies to ensure that there is still a role for workers in the country. 

In a recent interview with CasinoBeats, Keith McDonnell, Director at the KMI Group, revealed that action was already underway in the build-up to the formalisation of this bill.

He stated: “A phased approach is ongoing, with current POGO licence holders asked to report frequently on what they’re doing to make sure they are closed down by December. Meanwhile, some operators have already split their teams up and are locating specific functions elsewhere to mitigate against business risk.

“Others hope that they can retain a lot of their highly educated and experienced workforce in the Philippines by getting special class BPO accreditation or partnering with an outsourcing business that has it.”

He did predict that there is a future for igaming operators to have some sort of footprint in the Phillippines, as the heritage and knowledge the country has built up is not easily replaced. 

“The Philippines has been an outstanding location for many businesses in our industry for decades”, he stated. 

“In introducing new measures to address the illicit activities of some Internet Gaming License holders, it has hoped opportunities will remain for resectable businesses to continue and thrive whilst employing thousands of locally knowledgeable and experienced Filipinos.”

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President Marcos officially signs ban on POGOs in the Philippines  https://casinobeats.com/2024/11/08/president-marcos-officially-signs-ban-on-pogos-in-the-philippines/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 11:00:45 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=98414 The Executive Order banning POGOs in the Philippines has officially been signed by President Marcos.  The decision, when originally announced at his State of the Union address in July, was met with a rousing reception from those in attendance.  This latest chapter in Philippines regulation marks the next step in a ‘critical period’ for one […]

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The Executive Order banning POGOs in the Philippines has officially been signed by President Marcos

The decision, when originally announced at his State of the Union address in July, was met with a rousing reception from those in attendance. 

This latest chapter in Philippines regulation marks the next step in a ‘critical period’ for one of Asia’s most significant gambling ecosystems, as efforts to eradicate offshore betting locations are set to intensify. 

Announced in the Official Gazette, it’s a move that also sees efforts elevated to ensure that affected Filipino workers aren’t displaced as a result of the ban, with the government singling specialist agencies to ensure that there is still a role for workers in the country. 

In a recent interview with CasinoBeats, Keith McDonnell, Director at the KMI Group, revealed that action was already underway in the build-up to the formalisation of this bill. 

He stated: “A phased approach is ongoing, with current POGO licence holders asked to report frequently on what they’re doing to make sure they are closed down by December. Meanwhile, some operators have already split their teams up and are locating specific functions elsewhere to mitigate against business risk.

“Others hope that they can retain a lot of their highly educated and experienced workforce in the Philippines by getting special class BPO accreditation or partnering with an outsourcing business that has it.”

He did predict that there is a future for igaming operators to have some sort of footprint in the Phillippines, as the heritage and knowledge the country has built up is not easily replaced. 

“The Philippines has been an outstanding location for many businesses in our industry for decades”, he stated. 

“In introducing new measures to address the illicit activities of some Internet Gaming License holders, it has hoped opportunities will remain for resectable businesses to continue and thrive whilst employing thousands of locally knowledgeable and experienced Filipinos.” 

Furthermore, it was recently revealed that the Isle of Man has set aside a budget to explore the potential of embracing the displaced operators as a result of the POGO ban in the Philippines, but a meticulous and careful approach will be taken. 

According to the Isle of Man Today, a spokesperson for Digital IoM stated: “Following conversations with businesses operating within the island’s digital sector, it was recognised that recent regulatory changes in the Philippines affecting Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators could present a strategic opportunity for the Isle of Man.

“The blanket ban imposed by the Philippine regulator creates a significant displacement of the sector, meaning legitimate and high-performing businesses operating there are required to seek alternative regulatory markets. Consequently, the Isle of Man, known for its robust regulatory standards in this space, could provide this alternative for those businesses which would meet these high standards.”

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Alleged Chinese spy Alice Guo arrested as POGO clampdown intensifies  https://casinobeats.com/2024/09/04/alleged-chinese-spy-alice-guo-arrested-as-pogo-clampdown-intensifies/ Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:25:52 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=96624 As the Philippines continues its clampdown on POGOs, alleged spy and mayor of the POGO sector Alice Guo has been arrested in Indonesia.  The allegations aimed at Guo centre around her involvement in safeguarding casinos that had become entangled in human trafficking. She was also amongst 35 other individuals that were subject to the filing […]

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As the Philippines continues its clampdown on POGOs, alleged spy and mayor of the POGO sector Alice Guo has been arrested in Indonesia. 

The allegations aimed at Guo centre around her involvement in safeguarding casinos that had become entangled in human trafficking.

She was also amongst 35 other individuals that were subject to the filing of a myriad of money laundering counts. 

It comes as the government in the region is intensifying its efforts for the eradication of the POGO sector. 

Most recently, the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s saw him fast track the ban of POGOS in the country.

Marcos Jr emphasised that the arrest sent a message to those looking to bypass the law, as he detailed that Guo would be sent to the Philippines following the arrest. 

Guo vehemently denies the allegations, stating she grew up on her family’s farm, however the town she was brought up in, Bamban, was the subject of widespread raids earlier in the year over allegations of its involvement in illegal casino activity. 

Adding a further layer of complexity there has also been the allegation from Philippine officials that Guo’s real identity is Guo Hua Ping, as they stated their belief that she is a Chinese national who has helped support criminal gangs in the region. 

Setting out the government’s previous action on POGOS, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla provided a speech to reporters where he stated that the policy’s implementation is now in motion, highlighting that the significant number of Filipinos being employed in the sector had previously impacted the speed of the plans. 

Remulla added that she believes Marcos was abundantly clear in the speech, stating that workers will “have to bite the bullet” because of the social cost of POGOs. 

The decision of Marcos to eradicate POGOs builds on the continued efforts of authorities in the region to clamp down on offshore gambling and clean up its gambling industry. 

Speaking at his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder.

“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and the desecration of our country.”

Marcos underlined his belief that the outlawing of POGOs can have a significant impact when it comes to solving the country’s problems, as he added that “citizenry must always be vigilant, principled and think of the health of the nation”.

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Philippines workers told to ‘bite the bullet’ over POGO action https://casinobeats.com/2024/08/06/the-philippines-accelerates-fight-against-overseas-operations/ Tue, 06 Aug 2024 13:41:02 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=95968 The government in the Philippines has continued with plans for a rapid phaseout of Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) industry. One of the key factors that had previously slowed the eradication of the sector was its impact on the working economy, however there have been assurances the return of foreign workers will be a swift […]

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The government in the Philippines has continued with plans for a rapid phaseout of Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) industry.

One of the key factors that had previously slowed the eradication of the sector was its impact on the working economy, however there have been assurances the return of foreign workers will be a swift process. 

It comes following the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s, as he fast tracked the ban of POGOS in the country.

In a speech given to reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla emphasised that the policy’s implementation is now in motion, highlighting that the significant number of Filipinos being employed in the sector had previously  impacted the speed of the plans. 

Remulla added that she believes Marcos was abundantly clear in the speech, stating that workers will “have to bite the bullet”, because of the social cost of POGOs. 

The decision of Marcos to eradicate POGOs builds on the continued efforts of the authorities in the region to clamp down on offshore gambling and clean up its gambling industry. 

Speaking at his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder.

“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and the desecration of our country.”

Marcos underlined his belief that the outlawing of POGOs can have a significant impact when it comes to solving the country’s problems, as he added that “citizenry must always be vigilant, principled, and think of the health of the nation”.

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President Marcos takes decisive action POGOs in the Philippines https://casinobeats.com/2024/07/23/president-marcos-takes-decisive-action-pogos-in-the-philippines/ Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:35:39 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=95501 Philippines President Marcos has intensified action against POGOs in the country moving to implement a full ban on gaming operators.  It builds on the continued efforts of the authorities in the region to clamp down on offshore gambling and clean up its gambling industry.  Speaking at his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising […]

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Philippines President Marcos has intensified action against POGOs in the country moving to implement a full ban on gaming operators. 

It builds on the continued efforts of the authorities in the region to clamp down on offshore gambling and clean up its gambling industry. 

Speaking at his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder.

“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and the desecration of our country.”

Marcos underlined his belief that the outlawing of POGOs can have a significant impact when it comes to solving the country’s problems, as he added that ‘citizenry must always be vigilant, principled, and think of the health of the nation’.

Tackling the black market 

It comes as the country has deepened efforts for its removal from the FTAF grey list, with the gambling industry being cited as one of the key factors in its path to departing the list. 

The Philippines’ gambling regulator, Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), recently sought to clean up the country’s gambling sector and provide the country with a clearer path to economic growth. It revealed that 74.78% of the illegal igaming websites that had been detected have been blocked. 

Ret. Gen. Raul Villanueva, President of PAGCOR’s Security Monitoring Cluster, has underlined the complexities of eradicating the black market. 

He stated: “Of the 7,747 [illegal offerings], 5,793 [74.78%] were already blocked, and 1,954 are still active. “The payment blocking as of now based on my research, there’s no studies yet on payment blocking because some of these criminals use cryptocurrency as a mode of payment. And the banking system is very complex, offshore banking is very complex. 

“But we [have reached] out to payment portals like GCash and Maya, and we had a meeting two weeks ago with a representative of Gcash and they promised us to purge on these illegal sites because we have submitted to them or have publish or publish in our websites only the illegal sites.” 

There was also pressure from the Chinese government over the enabling of their citizens to gamble in the region. The Chinese embassy had previously distanced itself from having anything to do with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) sector.

The statement from the embassy said: “Chinese law prohibits all forms of gambling. The Chinese government strictly cracks down on Chinese citizens engaging in gambling business abroad including POGOs. Ample evidence shows that POGOs breed serious crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking and murder. POGOs are detrimental to both Philippine and Chinese interests and images as well as China-Philippines relations.

“In recent years, the Chinese and Philippine law enforcement agencies have maintained close communication and cooperation and conducted multiple joint operations to bring down cross-border gambling and telecom fraud. Since 2018, nearly 3000 Chinese citizens implicated in the cases have been repatriated with joint efforts of both sides. In the past year alone, China has assisted the Philippines in shutting down five POGOs hubs and repatriated nearly 1000 Chinese citizens.”

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Chinese Embassy locks horns with the Philippines over action on POGOs https://casinobeats.com/2024/06/17/chinese-embassy-locks-horns-with-the-philippines-over-action-on-pogos/ Mon, 17 Jun 2024 14:16:36 +0000 https://casinobeats.com/?p=94610 A statement from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has lobbied the Philippine government to intensify action against offshore gambling activity.  The embassy has also distanced itself from having anything to do with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) sector. It builds on the continued efforts of the Chinese government to warn citizens against gambling […]

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A statement from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has lobbied the Philippine government to intensify action against offshore gambling activity. 

The embassy has also distanced itself from having anything to do with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) sector.

It builds on the continued efforts of the Chinese government to warn citizens against gambling at overseas venues. 

The statement from the embassy said: “Chinese law prohibits all forms of gambling. The Chinese government strictly cracks down on Chinese citizens engaging in gambling business abroad including POGOs. Ample evidence shows that POGOs breed serious crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking and murder. POGOs are detrimental to both Philippine and Chinese interests and images as well as China-Philippines relations.

“In recent years, the Chinese and Philippine law enforcement agencies have maintained close communication and cooperation and conducted multiple joint operations to bring down cross-border gambling and telecom fraud. Since 2018, nearly 3000 Chinese citizens implicated in the cases have been repatriated with joint efforts of both sides. In the past year alone, China has assisted the Philippines in shutting down five POGOs hubs and repatriated nearly 1000 Chinese citizens.

“The vast majority of the Chinese citizens involved in these cases are victims of the Philippine offshore gambling industry. The Chinese government is committed to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.”

Earlier this year China also deepened ties with South Korea in the battle against cross-border gambling. It was reported by the Chinese media platform, People’s Daily, that law officials from both nations had held discussions around progress in enhancing the way law is upheld in the region and ensuring that collaboration continues in the battle against illicit gambling.

At the heart of the challenge will be the innovation in methods for detecting and combating cross-border gambling between the two east Asian countries.

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