The Philippines has been officially removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey” list of countries suspectable of money laundering. This removal follows four years after the country’s inclusion on the list and the subsequent prohibition of its Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) licensing system. The removal from the international “grey” list is expected … Read more
The Philippine casino industry has long been vital to the nation’s economy, generating revenue for other public services. Regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the gambling industry is poised for a transformative era as privatization is now in motion. PAGCOR operates under a dual mandate: regulating private gaming establishments and managing government-owned … Read more
Johnathan Flores, a senior member of the Philippines House of Representatives, is urging Congress to support House Bill 3559, which would reform gambling regulation in the country. HB3559 has been in lingo for the past two years after being first drafted by Rep. Ralph Recto, who is now the Secretary of Finance. If passed into … Read more
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is reviving its nationwide photography contest and offering over P1.6 million prizes for both armature and professional photographers. The PAGCOR photography contest will formally begin on February 15th, 2023, and aims to reward both newbies and seasoned photographers with generous cash prizes. PAGCOR Assistant Vice President of Corporate Communications … Read more
The Philippines recently announced that they will be cracking down ad revoking POGO licenses for 175 offshore gambling firms and that they expect to deport around 40k Chinese workers. Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGO) have been allowed to operate since the offshore program was created in 2016. The Offshore license only allows businesses stationed in … Read more
You’re a bettor, aren’t you? A gambler? Well, here’s an interesting proposition: What are the odds that PAGCOR – the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation – will sell off its state-run casino venues to private firms? While the concept of state-run brick-and-mortar casinos might be alien to gamblers in many other parts of the world, … Read more
As the Philippines transitions from the Duterte Administration to the Marcos Administration, the gambling market has remained relatively quiet. Outside of ongoing e-sabong debates behind closed doors (the pastime remains banned for now), it’s all been very business as usual. In fact, the only item of note in the Philippine gambling industry these last several … Read more
As the new Philippine Presidential administration prepares to take over, it appears that the nation’s anti-e-Sabong initiative will continue to be prioritized. As the massively popular game has been pushed from the regulated space back to the black market, the potential for more abuses – abuses that will no doubt be along the same lines … Read more
For the most part – including the run-up to and immediate aftermath of the 2022 Philippine Presidential election – there’s been a general dearth of “scandal” to report on in the legal Philippine gambling sector. For months, the biggest story has been related to the alleged kidnappings associated with the now-banned e-Sabong market, with a … Read more
As online gambling enthusiasts (and big fans of brick-and-mortar gambling when we can find the time for it), we have mixed feelings on various subjects having to do with gambling addiction, gambling withdrawals, self-exclusion, and the like. In general, we think that these are important issues, but we’ve also seen how they’re often misused or … Read more