As the Philippine government intensifies its crackdown on offshore gambling (POGO), the future of this industry becomes increasingly uncertain. Last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announced a comprehensive ban on POGO, intending to completely eradicate this gray industry. However, even though major POGO companies have shut down, there are still some small-scale "guerrilla" groups continuing to operate in secret.
So, how do these remaining POGO practitioners protect their safety under the ban, or continue to operate illegally?
How do remaining practitioners protect themselves?
With the ongoing crackdown by the Philippine government, POGO practitioners face increasing risks, especially those linked to transnational criminal gangs. They not only have to deal with legal risks but also protect themselves from being pursued. To ensure their safety, they need to master some "survival skills":
1. Low-profile and hidden operations
Small POGO groups, to avoid police attention, often hide themselves deeper. Some set up their office locations in inconspicuous places, such as resorts and business buildings, which do not look like gambling companies at all. Through this low-key approach, they can continue operations while avoiding government scrutiny.
2. Forging identities and hiding funds
To avoid exposure of their identities, many POGO practitioners choose to use fake identities or cover up real information through fake identity documents. Additionally, they are very cautious with the movement of funds, usually dispersing money or transferring it through cryptocurrencies, physical assets, stocks, etc., to ensure they are not traced.
Handling money requires special attention, especially when exchanging currencies, to avoid turning it into black money, otherwise, be careful not to lose more than you steal, and be targeted by domestic authorities!
3. Collaborating with the black market
Some illegal POGO companies cooperate with underground networks, conducting gambling revenue transfers and transactions through black market channels. This way, they can avoid legal risks and operate in an unregulated environment.
4. Relying on external protection for survival
For some larger illegal POGO operators, finding a "protector" is key to ensuring survival. Some gangs establish cooperative relationships with local gangs or transnational crime networks, obtaining a certain level of security by paying protection money.
An old saying goes: money talks. Although the Philippines is still conducting arrests, in the social environment of the Philippines, as long as enough money is given, many things can still be done. Otherwise, why would there still be so many companies operating secretly?
How do remaining personnel continue operations?
Even though the Philippine government has completely banned POGO, some small-scale POGO operators remain active in the market. They continue illegal operations through flexible methods. If these companies want to continue operating, they need to pay attention to some "survival skills":
1. Going underground
To evade police pursuit, some small POGO companies choose to operate completely "underground." They often attract customers through word-of-mouth and private invitations, rather than public advertising. This way, although people are still participating in gambling, these activities are almost impossible to detect.
The Thai branch that was raided a while ago operated in this manner: the boss was in the home country, and customer service personnel abroad contacted customers directly through private domain software like WeChat, linking them to their own website for operations.
2. Transnational cooperation and transfer
In addition to continuing to operate stealthily in the Philippines, some POGO operators have also started to move their business to other countries. They may open gambling platforms in other Southeast Asian countries or cooperate with underground networks in countries like China, continuing to make money through transnational operations.
Many companies in the Philippines had rapidly moved to Thailand, Cambodia, and other regions before the end of the year.
3. Exploiting legal loopholes in gray areas
Although the POGO ban has taken effect, the Philippine government's regulation of some gray areas is still not strict enough. Some POGO operators can still bypass legal scrutiny by registering legal companies, continuing their gambling activities. Additionally, the entertainment industry regulation in some parts of the Philippines is lax, providing illegal operators with opportunities.
This doesn't need much explanation, changing licenses, moving to economic zones, are also common methods used by the bosses.
Although Xiao Ma has always said to implement the ban in Cagayan, the other party has always been perfunctory and not at all afraid.
4. Fully transitioning to online
With the widespread use of the internet, many POGO operators have started to switch to online platforms. This method not only allows them to bypass the ban but also makes it easier for them to attract domestic and international customers. This makes POGO activities more covert, making it difficult for the police to track these illegal operations.
This depends on the capabilities of the tech-savvy ones: how to attract customers and bypass tracking.
It is worth mentioning that, with the current support of Musk's "Starlink," many companies no longer rely on terrestrial communication networks, and their technical security has gone up several levels!
Current status of the Philippine ban: Continuous government crackdown, tense situation in Southeast Asia
Although small POGO groups continue to exist, the Philippine government's crackdown has never relaxed. Recently, the Philippine police have intensified their crackdown on these "guerrilla" groups. In the Greater Manila area, the police have strengthened patrols of office buildings and resorts where POGO activities might be hidden. At the same time, the Philippines has also strengthened cooperation with countries like China to jointly combat transnational network fraud and kidnapping crimes.
Finally, for those still surviving in the Philippines, the most important thing is to consider how to survive in "guerrilla warfare" through hidden operations, undergroundization, and transnational cooperation! Even if various means can be used to bypass the ban, the government's continuous crackdown will not cease!
How to survive in the long term in the cracks, I hope the methods in this article can help you!
