War on POGOs Enters Next Stage as the Philippines Introduces New Bills

The new bills align with the country’s desire to end its unhealthy relationship with shady crime-related gambling operations.

New Measures Will Help the Philippines Fight Off Illegal Gambling

The Philippines continues its crackdown on illegal Philippines Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), seeking to end its ties with illicit gambling. While POGOs were allowed to operate for years, they were banned in 2024 after the government confirmed links between their operations and organized crime.

POGOs, for context, have been found guilty of involvement in human trafficking, torture and even murder. Some, on the other hand, have been tied to foreign agents.

In its continued attempt to weed out illicit operations, the House Quad Committee (Quadcom) introduced new legal measures that fix existing loopholes. According to its chair, Robert Ace Barbers, foreign bad actors were able to take advantage of the weaknesses of Philippine law and leverage them to carry out their shady operations.

Introduced earlier this month, House Bill 10987 would prohibit all forms of offshore gambling and will feature penalties of up to $182K for violators. Bills 10986, 10998, 11043 and 11117 will fix a variety of other issues, including introducing new laws on extrajudicial killings, creating stronger anti-espionage laws, and allowing the cancelation of illegitimate birth certificates and seizure of unlawfully obtained property by foreign nationals.

In addition to that, the Quadcom also submitted 30 amendment proposals that would reinforce other legal weaknesses.  

For context, the Philippines opted to officially ban POGOs in 2024, vowing to put an end to long years of unhealthy relationship with illicit gambling.

Small Scale POGOs Are Trying to Slip Unnoticed  

In the meantime, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) turned its attention to small-scale POGOs that have continued to defy the ban and have so far avoided scrutiny. As reported earlier this month, many offshore operators continue to operate despite being ordered to close shop in November.

Many did obey the order but some did not, forcing the government to take additional action to ensure that its country is free of illicit gambling.

PAOCC representatives noted that former POGO powerhouses have scaled down their operations in hopes of avoiding regulatory action. PAOCC director Gilbert Cruz confirmed that the authorities would not stay idle and promised that a new wave of raids would come.