Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has vowed to crack down on any POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) found breaking the law, claiming in a statement that it won’t hesitate to impose sanctions and penalties.
Its comments follow figures revealed during a Senate hearing earlier this week showing that POGO-related crimes have risen four-fold in recent years, from nine in 2019 to 40 in 2022. All involved kidnap for ransom, kidnapping or illegal detention, reaching a high of 42 crimes in 2021.
In response, PAGCOR issued a statement overnight in which it insisted it “will not sit idly in the face of these injustices.
“Hence, to safeguard the integrity of the offshore gaming industry in the country, PAGCOR will continue to monitor the lawfulness of the activities of its accredited licensees and service providers. Should they be found guilty of engaging in criminal acts, the state-run gaming agency will not hesitate to impose sanctions and penalties, as provided by the law.”
The regulator also highlighted its recently agreed collaboration with the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to combat all crimes being linked to offshore gaming operations.
“PAGCOR would like to underscore that as a result of the inter-agency cooperation meeting held last September 2022 involving abovementioned agencies, there have been no reported criminal activities or kidnapping-related incidents of workers in the offshore gaming industry for over three months,” it said.
“PAGCOR believes that while gaming operations – including offshore gaming – contribute significantly to government revenues, they must not be used as a vehicle for abuse and injustices.
“As the country’s gaming regulator, PAGCOR condemns these dreadful acts and will ensure that the local gaming industry will maintain the integrity of its operations.”
PAGCOR last week vowed to “nurture” the POGO industry amid calls by some to shut the online gaming industry down.
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