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PAOCC: Only 20 POGOs remain operational as deadline nears

Philippines | National

PAOCC: Only 20 POGOs remain operational as deadline nears

By Raymund Antonio

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Sunday, Dec. 15, that they will crack down and close the remaining 20 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) still operating as the deadline for their closure looms.

POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga (Photo courtesy of PAOCC via Facebook)

President Marcos earlier ordered the closure of all POGO hubs by Dec. 31.

“May listahan tayo diyan at ang sabi sa amin ng PAGCOR ay kulang-kulang mga 20 na lang 'yan. Dapat sarado na 'yan hanggang katapusan. Imo-monitor natin 'yan (We have a list of that and PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) said that there are only about 20 now. They should be closed by yearend. We will monitor that),” PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz stated.

He promised that by January 2025, there will be zero POGOs, internet gambling licensees (ICLs), and even business process outsourcing (BPOs) related to gambling operations.

“Hindi na pwede ‘yung mga ganun (Those are illegal already),” he added.

Cruz shared that the PAOCC will inspect closed-down POGO hubs next week, especially the bigger locations.

“Kasi syempre ayaw namin nung baka maisahan kami, sinabi nila nagsara sila pero hindi naman talaga nagsara (Because of course, we don’t want to be hoodwinked into thinking they already closed operations when they didn’t),” he explained.

They are scheduled to inspect a “big” POGO hub on Tuesday, Dec. 17, if it actually shut down their operations.

In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, Marcos banned all POGOs after some were implicated in crimes such as human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and various scams.

Executive Order No. 74 issued last November also identified the ban as consisting of illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations.

Related Tags

POGO ban President Marcos PAGCOR

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