As the Philippine government gradually bans large offshore gaming operators (POGO), the next enforcement focus has shifted to small illegal gambling centers formed by former POGO employees.
Gilbert Cruz, the executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), stated on Wednesday that these illegal centers are often hidden in residential areas, apartments, or resorts, and are smaller in scale but harder to track.
Cruz warned that with the government planning to officially revoke the remaining POGO licenses on December 15 this year, illegal small-scale POGO centers might further spread next year.
He emphasized that these small centers are highly secretive, only requiring a stable Wi-Fi connection to operate, without the need for a fixed office space.
It has been revealed that four illegal small-scale POGO centers located in the Mimaropa and Northern Luzon regions are close to being dismantled. Cruz expects that from January 2024, the special enforcement actions against these illegal centers will significantly escalate, and the intensity of the crackdown will also increase.
He reiterated that the government will fully implement the presidential ban, continuously track and shut down these illegal operations to uphold the seriousness of national laws, and ensure that the rectification of the gambling industry achieves substantial results.
