Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian recently emphasized at a press conference that the Philippines needs to adopt a comprehensive strategy to effectively implement the President's directive to ban all online gambling operations (POGO) and ensure that these companies cannot return through special categories of business process outsourcing (BPO) channels.
Sherwin Gatchalian pointed out that to fully enforce this ban, it must cover all relevant areas announced by the President. He stated: "The goal is to completely end the online gambling business in the Philippines and prevent it from re-entering the market in any form."
He further noted that the focus is not only on those entities licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). According to data from the President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission, there are currently about 200 illegal online gambling operations still active within the Philippines, and law enforcement should intensify efforts to ensure these illegal operations are completely eradicated.
Moreover, Sherwin Gatchalian also mentioned that there is a discrepancy in the number of foreign worker permits issued by the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Labor. According to data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, as of July, the online gambling industry had 26,431 foreign workers, while the Department of Labor's report shows that only 15,819 foreign employment permits were issued this year. This discrepancy has intensified concerns about regulatory loopholes in the industry.
The Senate has initiated inspections of some special category BPO companies that provide services to foreign gambling companies, aiming to ensure that these companies cannot become havens for illegal online gambling operations.
