The government has launched a study to assess the effects of PIGOs.
The Philippines.- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. could impose a ban on Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs) if they are found to be causing issues similar to those that led to the shutdown of offshore gaming operators. Claire Castro, undersecretary of the presidential communications office, made the statement after senate president Francis G. Escudero called for a cost-benefit analysis to ascertain whether PIGO licences should continue.
Castro said the government is monitoring the situation and conducting studies to evaluate the effects of PIGOs and would make comparisons with the operations of offshore gaming operators to identify any emerging problems.
Castro said that “for now, the study shows that PIGOs have yet to cause or produce crimes” and emphasised that while offshore gaming operators typically hire foreign workers, PIGOs employ mostly Filipinos, with 90 per cent of their workforce being local.
She also highlighted the economic contributions of PIGO. She said that, unlike offshore gaming operators, PIGOs contribute positively to the Philippine economy through tax revenues and local marketing expenditures. However, Castro said: “If what happened to offshore gaming operators also happens to PIGOs, the President would not hesitate to impose a total ban as well on PIGOs, but of course it will be based on data.”
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has warned that some illegal offershore gaming operators remain active in the Philippines but that all previously licensed operators have shut. Responding to questions from deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros during a Senate hearing, assistant vice president Jessa Fernandez said all 42 licenses and 18 authorised service providers had been cancelled and 304 operating sites closed since the ban on offshore gaming came into effect.
Fernandez said, “We are continuing the raids to ensure their closure. We also provide information whenever we receive reports that there are legal operations around Metro Manila or in other nearby provinces or cities. We report this to the law enforcement agencies so that they can also operate.”
However, PAGCOR senior vice president Raul Villanueva said some operators have splintered into smaller illegal groups, setting up operations inside residential subdivisions and urban peripheries.
He said: “We have observed that they have moved into smaller groups operating in residential areas. Unlike before, when we could inspect sites at any hour, we now face restrictions and need coordination with local government units, business permits offices and building administrators.”
