Gaming

by Iris Gonzales – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 Strangers and friends alike are now hooked on e-sabong, the online version of that age-old national obsession bequeathed to us by the Spaniards.

By Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte, Reporter, 24 Nov 2021 OFFICE SPACES in Alabang, Muntinlupa, and the Bay Area in Pasay City have experienced high vacancy rates after offshore gaming operators who are mostly from China decided not to renew their leases amid higher taxes next year.

by Elijah Felice Rosales – The Philippine Star, 4 Oct 2021 Special Report: MANILA, Philippines — They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. No matter how battered the economy was during the pandemic, industries like business process outsourcing (BPOs) and electronics chose to stay here. Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), however,…

By DJ Yap and Daxim L. Lucas, 7 Sep 2021 Saying there was no excuse for the P1.365 billion in debt owed to the government by Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Monday told these online-gambling service providers to pay up and leave the country.

Additional source of funds for gov’t fight vs pandemic By: Daxim L. Lucas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 28 Aug 2021 The country’s gaming regulator will lift a moratorium on the establishment of new casinos three years after it was put in place by President Duterte, after the Chief Executive said the government needed new sources of…

by Elijah Felice Rosales – The Philippine Star, 28 Aug 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The government expects income from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) to plunge to P4 billion this year as most of them have relocated to other Southeast Asian countries at the height of the pandemic.

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By Miguel R. Camus, @miguelrcamusINQ, 14 Jul 2021 The exodus of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) companies that characterized the woes of the Metro Manila office sector in 2020 has ended and demand for new space is returning, property veteran David Leechiu said on Tuesday.

(Philstar.com), 8 Jul 2021 MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, July 9, 2021 8:39 a.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte wants online casinos to return in a bid to raise more funds for the cash-strapped government’s pandemic response.

by Robertzon Ramirez (The Philippine Star), 21 Apr 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) rounded up 36 foreigners after it raided an alleged illegal online gaming company at the Double Dragon Plaza Tower 3 in Pasay on Monday afternoon, an official said yesterday.

by Leila B. Salaverria, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 31 Oct 2020 Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in the Subic Freeport are set to close down because of the economic difficulties brought about by the new coronavirus pandemic, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chair Wilma Eisma.

by Ben O. de Vera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 31 Oct 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Despite an exodus of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) trying to avoid not only their tax payments but also the surging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections here, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is running after their taxes due to shore…

by Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star), 29 Oct 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Earnings of state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) plummeted in the first nine months as its income from gaming operations suffered following the temporary suspension of casino operations due to the pandemic.

By Sharon Singleton, 23 Oct 2020 With much of the noise this week coming from the shenanigans downunder at the Crown Resorts inquiry, it would have been easy to miss more signs of trouble for Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs.)

by Iris Gonzales, 23 Oct 2020 Indeed, thousands of square meters of office space are now vacant with no hope of being filled up in the near future due to COVID-19 fears and tax policies viewed as unfavorable by most POGO operators and their service providers.

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by Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star), 19 Oct 2020 MANILA, Philippines — The country’s property sector is bracing for the continuing exodus of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and their service providers as almost 300,000 square meters or 17 percent of total office space will be vacant by yearend, said property analyst David Leechiu.

By: Antonio T. Carpio, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 7 May 2020 There are invisible hands in the Philippines and China orchestrating the activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos). Pogos run transnational gambling operations through online video. Smartly dressed young Chinese female dealers preside over casino tables located in condominium offices in the Philippines while their…

by Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star), 04 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — While the government has allowed Philippine offshore gaming operators to reopen after classifying them as business process outsourcing firms, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) clarified that POGOs are not considered or counted as BPOs.

By: Leila B. Salaverria, Melvin Gascon, Roy Stephen C. Canivel, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 3 May 2020 MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Saturday said he would move to resume the blue ribbon committee inquiry into the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) as more questions were raised on the reopening of online gambling…

China “has decided to put a ban on online gamers from playing the games with players from foreign countries, and even chatting with them.” https://t.co/eH0hj3xh7K — Sari Arho Havrén (@SariArhoHavren) April 19, 2020

by Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) – 14 Oct 2019 MANILA, Philippines — A party-list lawmaker yesterday urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to take steps in preventing thousands of Chinese nationals working for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) from turning into TNTs or tago nang tago.

by Mary Grace Padin, Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) – 9 Oct 2019 MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have so far shut down around 200 Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) that have been operating without license, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) said yesterday.

Read more here.

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By Anthony Giron, Manila BUlletin, 22 Aug 2019 IMUS CITY, Cavite — An offshore gaming operation will be put up in this city. Mayor Emmanuel Leonardo Maliksi said on Thursday Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) building will be put up at a mall on Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Tanzang Luma I.

By: Christia Marie Ramos, INQUIRER.net, 21 Aug 2019 MANILA, Philippines — After the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) suspended the issuance of new applications for Philippine off-shore gaming operators (Pogos), China has called on the Philippines to take it a step further with a ban on all online gambling operations in the country.

by Iris Gonzales (The Philippine Star), Jun 17, 2019 – 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — On the fourth floor of an offshore gaming firm somewhere in Paranaque City, a sprawling cafeteria serves a variety of Chinese food.

MANILA (Reuters) – Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a halt on the entry and creation of new casinos to prevent an oversupply in one of Asia’s fastest-growing gambling markets, the country’s gaming regulator said on Thursday.

By Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star), Jun 13, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Economic Zone Authority is not closing its doors completely to online gambling firms wanting to locate in PEZA-accredited buildings and sites, agreeing to a compromise that will enforce much stricter rules for locators in accordance with President Duterte’s war against illegal…