The Philippine House of Representatives held a plenary session and passed the "House Bill No. 10987" on the second reading by oral vote, which aims to completely ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), prohibiting them from operating domestically.
According to the bill, first-time violators will be sentenced to 4 to 6 years in prison and face fines ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 pesos; repeat offenders will face 6 to 8 years in prison and fines from 500,000 to 1,000,000 pesos; for the third and subsequent offenses, the penalty will be 8 to 10 years in prison and fines from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 pesos.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already expressed his support for the complete prohibition of POGO operations in his 2024 State of the Nation Address. The advancement of this bill is seen as an important measure by the government to combat illegal gambling, and to maintain national security and economic order.
Legal Determination
If the bill is passed, the following POGO-related activities will be deemed illegal:
1. Assisting POGO operations in any way or through any device;
2. Accepting any form of POGO bets;
3. Providing any kind of support and services for POGO operations;
4. Renting or selling properties to POGO operators for illegal operations;
5. Establishing a POGO organization or assisting in its establishment;
6. Owning any POGO facilities or equipment;
7. Assisting, protecting, or harboring any of the above activities.
Punitive Measures: Fines, Imprisonment, Confiscation of Assets and Illegal Proceeds
The bill also specifies the punitive measures for violators:
1. First-time offenders will face 4-6 years of imprisonment and fines ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 pesos;
2. Repeat offenders will face 6-9 years of imprisonment and fines ranging from 500,000 to 1,000,000 pesos;
3. Third-time offenders will face 8-10 years of imprisonment and fines from 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 pesos.
In addition to fines and imprisonment, the bill stipulates that once convicted, all POGO assets (including buildings, facilities, materials, equipment, and instruments used directly or indirectly for POGO operations) as well as illegal POGO proceeds will be confiscated and forfeited to the government.
