Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued a decree banning all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) from the country. All POGOs, which are unlicensed gaming operations serving Chinese players, will be out of the country by the end of the year.
While POGOs illegally serve Chinese markets, they themselves were not illegal in the Philippines. That said, the operations had become magnets for a variety of crimes ranging from human trafficking to torture. Most POGOs are staffed entirely by Chinese nationals, many of whom are victims of human trafficking and are not free to leave the operations.
“Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” President Marcos said while announcing the ban to the country’s legislative bodies. “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 – even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” he added in comments reported on by CNN.com.
Tensions over POGOs and their associated crime have been simmering in the Philippines for year, so news of the ban was well received among Filipino lawmakers. President Marcos received a standing ovation from the gather group, who have been grappling with the impact of POGOs in their communities for quite some time.
House speaker Martin Romualdez applauded the move in comments reported on by iGamingBusiness.com saying, “The president’s SONA will provide a clear roadmap and the house is prepared to translate this vision into tangible legislative outcomes. We are prepared to hit the ground running and deliver on our promises to the public.”
Though the POGOs are done in the Philippines, it’s likely that these same operations will re-emerge in less-regulated environments, such as Myanmar.