Philippine Senator Joel Villanueva has wasted no time in pushing to cement President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s plan to ban all offshore gaming operations in the country, filing this week a new senate bill known as the Anti-POGO Act.
As reported by ABS-CBN News, the proposed bill revokes and cancels “all POGO and other related licenses issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and other investment promotion agencies with the power to issue such licenses.”
Assuming it is passed into law, Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) – traditionally known as POGOs – will have 30 days to cease all operations or face up to 20 years in prison and a Php100 million (US$1.7 million) fine. The bill will also repeal the Act Taxing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations and require the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to provide a Workers’ Transition Program for affected POGO workers.
“The evidence of crimes and social ills from POGO operations immensely overwhelm the benefits the Filipinos get from the taxes they pay,” Villanueva said.
As previously reported by Inside Asian Gaming, questions still remain as to how the POGO ban will impact industry suppliers, specifically those servicing domestic online gaming operations as well as POGOs.
After PAGCOR sent a memorandum to industry participants last week confirming that the offshore gaming industry would maintain its status quo until further clarification of a ban, lawyer and consultant Atty Vladimir F. Bedural told IAG, “For offshore gaming operators, assuming the policy statement is [made official], there is no other option but to close. But for suppliers, they will now have to justify their existence before PAGCOR and they can do this by saying that they are also servicing non-POGO companies. These non-POGO companies can be land-based casinos, gaming venue operators, and PIGOs.”
