Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has published a decree banning offshore gaming operations. But he rejected a call to enshrine the ban in law.
On 22 July, in a fiery state of the nation address, Marcos banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations, or POGOs, calling them havens of corruption and crime. On 5 November, he officially signed Executive Order 74, compelling all POGOs to clear out by 31 December.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the ban covers POGOs licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), plus any “strategic support provider, IT support provider, live studio and streaming provider (or) gaming software provider.”
The order said POGOs – allegedly fronts for online scams – caused reputational damage that could “deter foreign investment and tourism”.
It also opened the door to financial crimes. For two years, the country has been trying to exit a grey list of countries at risk for money laundering and terrorism financing.
Marcos: Ban is “sufficient” to deter crime
In a news release, Marcos said the EO would help to “safeguard national security, maintain public order, uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of its citizens and ensure the integrity of the social fabric of the nation.”
However, he rejected calls to enshrine the ban as law, calling the EO “sufficient” to deter future illicit operations.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the committee overseeing POGO hearings, is concerned the EO is not failsafe. She says it contains loopholes that may allow POGOs to return in a different guise.
“While I laud the aims of the executive order… [some things] are not clear,” Hontiveros said in a statement. She said the order “excludes online games of chance conducted in Pagcor-operated casinos, licensed casinos or integrated resorts with junket agreements.
“Does this mean that POGOs may be allowed to operate in casinos like City of Dreams or Fontana? Or in resorts that operate casinos?” she asked. According to the Philippine Inquirer, Hontiveros is concerned that special economic zones also have leeway to introduce offshore gambling.
Marcos disagrees. “It’s the nature of the operation we are banning,” he told reporters yesterday (11 November). “It’s not because it is under Pagcor or not.”
Gatchalian: EO won’t prevent POGO comeback
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a longtime critic of POGOs, wants to repeal legislation that taxes POGOs, to ensure they don’t return in any form under a future administration.
In September, he told the Manila Bulletin: “We will continue with the law to… repeal the taxation of POGOs…. [The EO] will not prevent the revival of POGO operations in the country.”
