Officials from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines disclosed to a Senate panel that by the end of 2024, over 22,000 foreign workers from the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry have left the Philippines. However, despite this, more than 11,000 foreign workers remain in the country.
Arvin Santos, the Chief Legal Officer of the Immigration Bureau, noted that although these remaining individuals have not filed complaints, they are still a focus of Philippine law enforcement actions. The Senate Committee on Games and Amusement was informed that as of the end of 2024, there are 33,863 registered foreign POGO workers, of whom just over 11,000 have not departed on time.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) further added that before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the prohibition of POGOs, the industry had 42 internet gaming licenses, 7 gaming content providers, and 11 support providers. Jessa Mariz Fernandez, Vice President of Pagcor, revealed that all these licenses have been revoked.
Meanwhile, Raul Villanueva, Senior Vice President of the Pagcor Security and Surveillance Cluster, stated that the illegal POGO workers still in the Philippines have started "guerrilla" operations, meaning they continue to operate through small, covert activities. He mentioned that the government has received complaints from the public, reflecting that some rogue online gambling companies are still engaging in illegal activities.
Following the government's announcement of the ban, the Department of Labor has developed assistance programs for the displaced former POGO workers. Additionally, Pagcor has reported about 276 illegal websites, mainly involving e-sabong (online cockfighting), online casinos, and other illegal gambling activities, although 136 sites have already been blocked.
Last year, the Marcos administration banned the online gambling industry due to allegations of kidnapping, cyber fraud, human trafficking, and other criminal activities.
