PAGCOR Says Legit Pogo Operations Are Strictly Being Monitored

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has made a distinction between legitimately registered Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO)s and foreigners allegedly involved in illegal online gaming activities in the Philippines.

According to PAGCOR’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Alejandro Tengco, the illegal activities of Chinese and other foreigners are not related in any way to legitimate offshore gaming entities.

“The agency emphasizes that any individual, group or entity which conducts online gambling without approval to operate from Pagcor should not be categorized as POGO,”  said Tengco.

Tengco went on to say that POGO operations are closely looked over by PAGCOR.

He says that “Any gaming entity that fails to pass the application process for an offshore gaming license and to fulfill the documentary and financial requirements, among others, cannot be labeled as legal offshore gaming operators or POGO,”

Currently, PAGCOR has only approved 34 POGO operators, 127 accredited service providers, and five special class business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

Tengco has likewise mentioned that PAGCOR is in close coordination with law enforcement in the country to identify any illegal offshore gaming operations and stop human trafficking and kidnapping incidents.

The law enforcement agencies include the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Earlier this month, PAGCOR held a meeting between the NBI, PNP, DOJ, and DILG in light of the recent rise in crimes related to illegal offshore gaming operations.

Source: Manila Bulletin