Pres. Francis Escudero of the Philippines Senate has demanded an investigation into the PIGOs, or inland gaming operators, claiming that they pose the same problems as the offshore gambling business, which was outlawed a year ago.
This should be reviewed, Escudero stated in a statement released on March 1st. Since PIGOs primarily impact Filipinos and not foreigners, they are likely to contain the harmful impacts that we are trying to prevent.
Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) and Philippine inland gaming operations (PIGOs) were the subjects of his comparison. Following accusations that they facilitate fraud, human trafficking, prostitution, and money laundering, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. outlawed POGOs last year.
Customers from other countries, particularly mainland China, were POGOs' target audience for online casinos. PIGOs focus on Filipino players.
Escudero went on to say, "I know Pagcor earns a significant amount of money from this," as cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A large portion of our income and revenue comes from it. But there's no reason they can't reject PIGOs as well, given that they rejected POGOs' huge income and revenue. That is, unless it benefits our fellow citizens in any way.
A total ban on gambling in the Philippines has been an earlier goal of Escudero's. If we genuinely think that gambling establishments like casinos, POGO, and PIGO are detrimental to our society, then we should outlaw them completely.
Limit rather than remove
In Viber comments, Unicapital Securities Equity Research Analyst Jeri R. Alfonso suggested that a widespread gaming ban is unlikely to happen. In 2024, Pagcor distributed cash dividends totalling PHP4.59 billion (£62.6 million/€75.6 million/$79.6 million), propelling it to the position of "third-biggest revenue source after the bureau of internal revenue and the bureau of customs," as she put it.
"Total prohibition of internet gambling would have a devastating effect on public coffers," Alfonso went on to say. We do not believe a complete prohibition is feasible.
A ban would "unduly deprive the government of billions of pesos in much-needed revenues," according to Juan Paolo E. Colet, managing director of China Bank Capital.
In his letter, he assured that the government's social programs would get substantial funding from the gaming industry, and he emphasised that Pagcor already had the necessary legal framework in place to do this.
In his words, "which would be worse for everyone" if gamblers in the Philippines did not have access to legal gambling options. "Regulation, rather than elimination, is the superior strategy."
Concerned that POGO operators may have penetrated the local business, Senator Risa Hontiveros demanded last month that the Marcos dictatorship ban all forms of internet gambling.
Two years following the introduction of POGOs, Pagcor legalised PIGOs in 2018.
