The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has issued a warning to Philippines offshore gaming operations (POGOs), which are engaged in illegal activity.
Alejandro Tengco, Pagcorchairman & CEO, called on all offshore licensees & service providers in the country to adhere to their licences.
He made it clear that he would deal “severely with” any operator who was involved in criminal activities. He warned operators that their licenses could be suspended or cancelled.
Tengco said, “More will follow.” Tengco said, “We will continue to monitor our offshore gaming licensees as well as service providers.
“Pagcor continues to work with law enforcement agencies in order to provide a safe, responsible gaming environment for Filipinos and other nationalities.
Only through responsible and regulated gaming can we minimize, if not eliminate all crimes linked to gaming.
Police raid provider suspected illegal activity
The comments were made following a raid on 4 May by several Philippine state agencies. The search took place in premises of the Sun Valley Business Hub, run by gaming service provider CGC Technologies. The licence of the business was suspended while an investigation is conducted.
CGC, which received its license in September 2021, is accused of a number of serious offenses. This includes credit card fraud and serious illegal detention.
Although Pagcor was only aware of the two buildings operated by CGC on the site, in reality the provider controlled six structures.
Personnel working at the Sun Valley Hub came from a variety of nationalities, including Indonesia, Vietnam and China.
Human Trafficking was a major problem in the POGO sector. It has been linked to organized crime, murders, and modern slavery.
The raid was conducted by a number of state agencies in the Philippines, including the Anti-Cybercrime Group from the Philippine National Police as well as the Special Action Forces. The Intelligence Group of Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission, and the Inter-Agency Council on Anti-Trafficking were also involved.
Over 1,000 computers and other devices were confiscated by the police, who then conducted a forensic examination.
Pagcor stated that it would “immediately cancel” the license of the company if authorities could prove the establishment was involved in criminal activities.
