Marcos bans all POGOs in SONA 2024
Metro Manila, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) effective Monday, July 22.
His announcement was his last talking point in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), prompting a standing ovation among lawmakers and guests in the session hall at the Batasang Pambansa.
“Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” Marcos said. “I hereby instruct Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) to wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.”
Pagcor is the gaming regulator.
The president then instructed economic advisers and the Department of Labor and Employment to address the plight of POGO workers who will be dislocated as a result of the policy.
“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” Marcos said.
The ban came on the heels of a Senate probe on a POGO hub raid in Bamban, Tarlac, which has been linked to the town’s mayor, Alice Guo. The investigation has since progressed to issues surrounding Guo’s Chinese citizenship.
The Department of Interior and Local Government has suspended the mayor, while the Senate has ordered her arrest for snubbing committee hearings.
Lawmakers have been calling on Marcos to impose a ban on POGOs ahead of his annual address.
Even the president’s economic team had told congressional inquiries about the negative impact of online gaming that outweighs government revenue from their operations.
The Department of Finance said the continued operation of gaming hubs has been costing the country over ₱99 billion yearly.
In 2022, government data showed that during the peak of the industry in 2019, over 144,000 POGO workers were registered but only 14.5% were Filipinos.
China has continuously appealed to the Philippines to ban POGOs. Thousands of Chinese citizens have been implicated and repatriated. Online gambling is illegal in Beijing.
Pagcor began processing POGO licenses in 2016 during the Duterte administration to boost revenue. The former president has rejected calls to ban POGOs.
