Only 46 out of the 296 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have licenses to operate in the country, according to Philippine Amusement Gaming Operators (PAGCOR).
Interviewed during Dos POr Dos on Thursday, June 13, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco said they reviewed all the POGOs operating in the country and learned that many of them have no active licenses.
Tengco said most of them were found to be conducting illegal acts such as credit card scams, investment scams, love scams, love match scams, and crypto scams.
Due to this, all those who had licenses were declared probationary, and the rest were not permitted to operate.
Tengco stated that three of the 46 licensed POGOs had their licenses suspended after noticing irregularities with their system while not obeying the rules of PAGCOR.
"Mayroon diyang marami na iligal na sapagkat wala na pong lisensya," said Tengco.
"Sa pagkakataong ito yung lahat ng nahuhuli na yan mahigit 200 o yung mga minomonitor ay talagang mga iligal po at hindi na sakop ng PAGCOR," he furthered.
When asked how POGOs without licenses could be eliminated, Tengco said they have the authority to order the shutdown of inactive-license POGOs without permits as PAGCOR is not within the national police's jurisdiction.
Tengco said they only inform government agencies of the list of inactive POGO licenses.
"Kaya lahat po ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan, katrabaho namin, nandyan po ang PNP, Bureau of Immigration, nandyan po ang Department of Justice, PAOCC, nandyan po ang NBI. We furnish them right away."
According to Tengco, POGO without licenses has only five to seven days to shut down.
Tengco noted that about 3,000 Filipinos are working for the remaining 46 POGOs in the country.
