As the Philippines continues to climb out of the coronavirus pandemic that’s shuttered much of the gambling market and closed countless downmarket businesses over the last two years, daily good news now seems the order of the day. Every time we put legal Philippine casinos under the microscope, it seems like the entire domestic market … Read more
After nearly six years of scandal, it seemed for all the world that the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) market was quickly becoming a thing of the past. With new international gambling crackdowns sweeping through China over the last two years or so, POGOs found themselves doubly in the hot seat, as mainland Chinese gamblers … Read more
Alvin Chau, the CEO of Suncity Group Holdings, was taken into custody this weekend after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the Chinese city of Wenzhou on Friday. Suncity is Macau’s largest junket operator, and China’s main complaint against the 47-year-old Chau is as basic and nebulous as you’d expect: money laundering. However, … Read more
Once a thriving (if controversial) industry in the Philippines, POGOs – or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators – are now becoming a thing of the past. Before the recent coronavirus pandemic, POGOs were a big moneymaker for the Philippine government. Regulated by PAGCOR, POGOs allowed online gambling games to be hosted inside Philippines borders, though their … Read more
While Philippine POGOs have always been controversial since the Duterte administration approved and licensed them in 2016, that controversy has mostly been fueled by the Xi Jinping administration in China. Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators – or POGOs – are run by Chinese migrants living in the islands, and their online gambling services exclusively target mainland … Read more
COVID-19, the flu-like virus taking the world by storm, has been documented in the Philippines, and it’s having a distinct impact on the region’s tourism income, among other markets. Interestingly, as one of the regions considered more at-risk for the Wuhan coronavirus’s impact, the Philippines has not used the current global crisis to widen its … Read more
It’s been a busier time than usual in the Philippines gambling market. With fears of coronavirus continuing to spread, many Chinese gamblers are turning to POGOs, which is a boon for the islands’ gaming industry and tax coffers. However, locals are also more cautious to travel and mingle in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos within the Philippines, … Read more
The Philippines has long stood by its insistence that the country’s POGO marketplace – aimed at Chinese players who cannot legally gamble online in their own nation – would remain in operation despite Beijing’s efforts to shutter the industry. However, the tide of public option on Chinese online gambling appears to be turning. Unfortunately, this … Read more
Want to bet on the Super Bowl? While the Philippines hosts plenty of POGOs, Filipino bettors can’t actually use them. And unfortunately, MegaSportsWorld isn’t exactly known for offering a ton of NFL odds, either. However, if you live in the islands and want to wager on a Vegas-like variety of Super Bowl props and lines, … Read more
This week, the Chinese government announced a new initiative aimed at policing the country’s illegal gambling market. This is, at least publicly, something of a 180 from the nation’s stance in the last several months, where it implored the Duterte Administration to bar all online gaming in the Philippines. With Duterte et al. having none … Read more