Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), starting from year-end during his latest State of the Nation Address.
The move was anticipated by some and comes in the wake of numerous high-profile cases where POGOs were accused of being involved in criminal activities. Most notably, “POGO Mayor” Alice Guo has dominated the headlines in the country for weeks, leading to calls for a reform or even outright ban of the sector.
During his speech, Marcos spoke about POGOs straying from gaming into scams, crime and even murder.
“Effective today, all POGOs are banned” Marcos said to roaring applause from the audience. “I hereby instruct PAGCOR to wind down and cease the operations of POGOS by the end of the year.” he continued. He also instructed government departments to assist affected Filipino workers in finding new positions.
The POGO ban came at the end of a SONA that appeared well received and focused on the economy and tourism. It appears the ban will only affect POGOs and not PIGOs or other land based operations targeting the country in a legal manner.
