Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR has issued a warning against scam letters and text messages being circulated claiming that the shuttered POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) industry is set to reopen.
According to a statement issued overnight, the messages have been spread recently by “unscrupulous parties” looking to entice potential investors into paying significant amounts of money to secure “supposed limited slots of POGO licenses” and claiming that the licenses would be issued by PAGCOR.
“There is absolutely no truth to this,” said PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, Alejandro Tengco. “POGOs remain banned, and there are no plans to bring them back, now or in the foreseeable future.
“Should you get any text message or letter informing you that you can avail of a POGO slot, please report them immediately to PAGCOR or to the police and other law enforcement agencies because these are scammers who need to be stopped.”
Tengco said the scammers have been asking would-be investors for up to Php50 million (US$856,000) for attorney’s fees, consultation and assessment to acquire a POGO slot.
“We reiterate: POGOs will not reopen during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and PAGCOR is not entertaining, and will not entertain, any applications,” he explained.
The full ban on POGO operations nationwide officially took effect on 1 January 2025 after President Marcos signed an Executive Order in November. He had first announced the ban during his State of the Nation Address in July, citing a series of recent raids on “POGO hubs” that found a raft of illicit activities taking places including human trafficking and scam activities.
