The Philippine president has vowed to use the full force of the law to shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
In a social media post following a multi-agency task force meeting on Wednesday, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. noted that “All the licenses of POGO and IGL operators nationwide have been canceled […] They will never be allowed to ravage our country again. Anyone who will conduct illegal operations will face the full force of the law”.
The ban, initially announced in July during Marcos’ State of the Nation Address, covers all offshore gaming operations – including POGOs, IGLs and other offshore gaming licenses.
When the ban was initially announced, there were around 60 licensed POGO operators.
According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the nation’s gaming regulator, there are now only seven – all of which are scheduled to close by year-end.
PAGCOR has indicated that all POGO and IGL licenses will be revoked by December 15th, while all direct and indirect operations of offshore gaming have to cease by December 31st.
The push to ban POGOs came in response to strong public feedback over troublesome issues tied to the operations, including fraud, human trafficking, prostitution and even murder.
