PH senator wants permanent ban on POGOs

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is asking for a Senate resolution urging the executive branch to permanently ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 

During his Ways and Means Committee presentation, the senator emphasized that the Filipino people “stand to lose more than they will gain from allowing POGOs to continue operating in the Philippines.”

Gatchalian stated that the business model of POGOs is “inherently unstable due to the outsized foreign regulatory and political risks involved.”

According to Gatchalian’s report, most customers placing their bets in POGOs were Chinese nationals. He described the situation as “problematic,” with gambling outlawed in China.

The senator also highlighted the crimes related to the POGO industry in the past five years — 30 were kidnap-for-ransom cases, 14 were human trafficking, 13 were violations of the Access Devices Regulation Act, and 10 were kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

Data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) also suggest that POGOs have been evading their taxes by underreporting their gross gaming revenue.

“Their continuing operations in our country pose a reputational risk that could dissuade foreign firms from investing in the Philippines, discourage foreign tourists from visiting our shores, and result in severe economic consequences for our country,” he said.

Gatchalian suggested several solutions and regulations to permanently ban Chinese game operators on Philippine shores. He also urged the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to cancel or revoke the working visas issued to foreign nationals employed in the POGO industry.