Chinese embassy urges ban on POGO

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Manila stated on Friday that offshore gaming operations in the Philippines harm both Philippine and Chinese interests and damage the images of both nations as well as China-Philippines relations.

“Chinese law prohibits all forms of gambling. The Chinese government strictly cracks down on Chinese citizens engaging in gambling business abroad,” including Philippine offshore gaming operations, the spokesperson said during a news briefing.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR), the country’s gaming regulator, approved new regulations for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), now referred to as “Internet Gaming Licensees” (IGLs), in July last year.

In the Friday remarks, the spokesperson highlighted “ample evidence” of criminal activities linked to the offshore gaming industry, such as “kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking, and murder.”

“In recent years, Chinese and Philippine law enforcement agencies have maintained close communication and cooperation, conducting multiple joint operations to combat cross-border gambling and telecom fraud,” the spokesperson stated.

“We appeal to the Philippines to ban POGO at an early date to root out this social ill,” the spokesperson added. “And we firmly oppose any baseless accusations and smearing against China in connection with POGO.”

The spokesperson noted that “since 2018, nearly 3,000 Chinese citizens implicated in offshore-gaming related cases have been repatriated through the joint efforts of both sides.”

According to the embassy, “the vast majority of Chinese citizens involved in these cases are victims of the Philippine offshore gambling industry.”

“In the past year alone, China has assisted the Philippines in shutting down five POGO hubs and repatriated nearly 1,000 Chinese citizens.”

PAGCOR recently converted 13 provisional IGL permits to full ones, bringing the total number of IGL permit holders allowed to offer gaming to offshore customers to 40.

In late May, Philippine senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed a bill seeking to outlaw offshore gaming operators in the country. Mr. Gatchalian, the chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, filed “Senate Bill 2689,” aiming to repeal the status of offshore gaming as a taxable activity in the Philippines, which he says is the “only law that legitimizes POGO operations.”

POGO related news has been on the news recently and this does not help with the gaming industry when there are crime related issues stemming from them. The government is still keeping the status quo for the meantime.

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