PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco told lawmakers on Tuesday that the regulator will treat POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming License Holders) and IGLs (Internet Gaming License Holders) equally in compliance with the President’s POGO ban. It also confirmed that 43 existing license holders will have their licenses canceled before the end of the year.
Tengco made the remarks during a Senate hearing on POGOs after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced during his State of the Nation address on Monday that he would ban POGOs and no more new licenses would be issued, with existing licenses to be It will be phased out by the end of 2024.
Last year, PAGCOR revoked the licenses of all existing POGO operators, requiring them to reapply under the new IGL scheme. Tengco confirmed that the rebranding aims to remove the negative stigma associated with POGOs, stressing that no distinction will be made between the two when the industry shuts down.
“There is no problem in shutting down POGOs because I can invoke national security and the presidential order,” he said. “The president’s order is clear. I will comply with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
According to PhilStar, the Office of Presidential Communications also noted that “Internet gambling licenses are also included in the ban.”
Tengco has previously expressed its preference for regulation rather than bans, warning that bans will not eliminate illegal operators and may also drive legal operators underground. He stressed that the 43 licensed IGLs employ about 40,000 local workers and 23,000 foreign workers and that the government will lose about P23 billion in licensing fees and taxes annually due to the ban.
The POGO industry, launched in 2016 during the Duterte administration, employed more than 97,000 foreigners at its peak but has declined significantly during the pandemic.
The Presidential Commission against Organized Crime (PAOCC) acknowledged the potential for POGOs and IGLs to go underground. "That doesn't mean they're all going to leave and pack up," spokesman Winston Casio said. "A significant number are still here and going underground. Now, that's the challenge, but various government agencies We are all capable of meeting this challenge head-on.”
