• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Friday 30 May 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

PAGCOR confirms IGLs included in POGO ban, promises to follow Presidential order

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Wed 24 Jul 2024 at 05:57
PAGCOR to announce new list of POGO licensees in early October, legal URLs to be published online

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco speaking at the IAG Academy Summit in 2023

137
SHARES
3.4k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco told lawmakers on Tuesday that the regulator would not distinguish between POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Licensees) and IGLs (Internet Gaming Licensees) amid the President’s POGO ban, confirming the licenses of the 43 existing licensees would be cancelled by the end of the year.

His comments during a senate hearing into POGOs follow the announcement by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr during his State of the Nation Address on Monday that he was banning POGOs, with no new licenses to be issued and new licenses to be wound back by end-2024.

PAGCOR had last year withdrawn the licenses of all existing POGO operators and required all to reapply, with those who were successful being licensed instead under the newly branded IGL scheme.

Tengco confirmed during Tuesday’s hearing that the new name had been implemented to remove the negative “stigma” attached to POGOs, adding that no distinction between the two would be made when the industry is shut down.

“No problem in closing down POGOs because I can invoke national security and the President’s order,” he added. “The President’s order was clear. I’ll abide by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s order.”

The Presidential Communications Office separately noted that “Internet gaming licenses are included in the ban,” according to PhilStar.

Tengco had previously stated his preference to regulate rather than ban the Philippines’ offshore gaming industry, warning that a ban would not solve the issue of illegal operators indulging in criminal activity and would also drive currently legal operators underground.

On Tuesday he noted that the 43 licensed IGLs employ around 40,000 local and 23,000 foreign workers either directly or indirectly, with the government to lose around Php23 billion in license fees and taxes annually due to the ban.

The POGO industry, launched in 2016 under the Duterte administration, had at its peak employed more than 97,000 foreign nationals before declining significantly during the pandemic.

For its part, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has acknowledged the potential for POGOs and IGLs to go underground, with spokesman Winston Casio stating “that doesn’t mean all of them would leave and pack up their bags. A good number of these would still remain and simply go underground,” he said.

“Now, that is the challenge but the different agencies of government are fairly competent to meet that challenge head-on.”

RelatedPosts

Casino Filipino venues to receive first delivery of almost 2,000 new slot machines by mid-September

PAGCOR board, including Chairman Tengco, tender courtesy resignations following Presidential call

Thu 29 May 2025 at 14:15
Mindslot-e leads first Philippines slot machine deployment for AGS with debut of “Lion Cash”

Mindslot-e leads first Philippines slot machine deployment for AGS with debut of “Lion Cash”

Wed 28 May 2025 at 06:08
Philippine billionaire Manny Villar to renew focus on Villar City estate following family election run

Philippine billionaire Manny Villar to renew focus on Villar City estate following family election run

Mon 26 May 2025 at 06:17
Resorts World Manila changes name to Newport World Resorts

Manila’s Newport World Resorts to strengthen online gaming platform in response to growing E-Games segment

Thu 22 May 2025 at 05:16
Load More
Tags: Alejandro TengcoFerdinand Marcos JrInternet Gaming LicenseesPAGCORPhilippinesPOGO
Share55Share10
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:38

I was recently asked by someone working at a foreigner-only casino for my thoughts on the outlook for the Asian...

On the brink

On the brink

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:27

The transition period for Macau’s 11 satellite casinos is set to expire at the end of this year, after which...

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo

Related Posts

Robert Goldstein to step aside as LVS Chairman and CEO from March 2026, replaced by Patrick Dumont

Robert Goldstein: Macau gaming market challenged by increased competition, online gambling and US-Sino trade war

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 06:42

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein has bemoaned the lingering impact of the US-China trade war, as well as increased domestic and regional competition and the rise of online gambling across Asia for sustained flatness in the...

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 05:38

Industry figures taking part in the Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable (TECR) next Thursday 5 June hope to find common ground with those who oppose Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill, citing the opportunity to use an evidence-based approach to achieve outcomes that...

Genting Malaysia misses 4Q24 estimates, slashes dividends as rising costs hurt profitability

Genting Malaysia reports US$613 million in Q1 revenue, impacted by lower VIP at Resorts World Genting

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 05:23

Genting Malaysia reported a 6% decline in group-wide revenue to MYR2.60 billion (US$613 million) in the three months to 31 March 2025, including a 7% drop in revenue at flagship Malaysian property Resorts World Genting (RWG) to MYR1.62 billion (US$382...

Macau’s hotel occupancy rate reaches 89% in July

Macau’s hotel occupancy rate climbed to 87.8% in April

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 17:27

Macau’s average hotel occupancy rate rose by 4.7 percentage points year-on-year to 87.8% in April, with the number of guests increasing by 3.4% to 1.2 million. According to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), there were 147 hotel...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English