Escudero eyes local online gambling ban
- SP Escudero has called for an in-depth and transparent review of the Philippine inland gaming operators (Pigos) sector, saying that since the same social issues raised against Pogos could be leveled against Pigos, there should be an equal, if not greater, concern about its impact on the local population.
- If it is determined that Pigos are becoming a destructive force in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and those with little disposable income, Escudero said the government should start to consider whether a ban similar to Pogos is in order.
- Pagcor introduced the Pigo license in 2018 to regulate and promote the growth of the gaming industry. It is a special type of license that allows gaming operators to conduct business within the Philippines, including casino games, sports betting and online gambling.
Senate President Francis Escudero has called for a review of the Philippine inland gaming operators (Pigos) sector to see if these online gambling operations which are easily accessible to many Filipinos are worth continuing.
According to Escudero, the operation of Pigos has gone unnoticed due to the various controversies surrounding the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) and expressed concern that they practically offer the same online games to a predominantly local clientele.
The Senate President argued that since the same social issues raised against Pogos could be leveled against Pigos, there should be an equal, if not greater, concern about its impact on the local population.
“We should review this because the ill effects that we want to avoid are most likely present in Pigos, which affect only Filipinos and not foreigners,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
If it is determined that Pigos are becoming a destructive force in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and those with little disposable income, Escudero said the government should start to consider whether a ban similar to Pogos is in order.
“We have banned Pogos and we want to ban Pogos through law. Pogos’ markets are foreigners and they are the ones gambling there. It’s the foreigners whose lives are getting ruined because of gambling. We’ve banned it,” he said in a statement.
“But we allowed Pigos, where the gamblers are Filipinos, not foreigners. Those who are running out of money are Filipinos, not foreigners, and it’s likely that the former Pogos are hiding behind Pigos,” he added.
In-depth review
Escudero called on the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to come up with an in-depth and transparent review of Pigos to determine the industry’s benefits to the country and provide the public with a clear picture as to what they are getting into by playing online games.
“Can we get the data from Pagcor? Can we get the data from relevant government agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), how much are we getting here, and like the questions we ask in relation to Pogo, is it worth it?” he noted.
“I know that Pagcor earns a significant amount of money from this. It’s a major source of revenue and income for the government. However, if they were able to turn their backs from the substantial revenue and income from Pogos, then there’s no reason they can’t do that for Pigos, especially if it is not doing any good to our fellow citizens, which I believe it is,” he said.
He recalled how President Marcos issued an executive order for the continued suspension of all “e-sabong” operations nationwide in 2022, cognizant of the gambling activities’ negative impact on the lives of ordinary Filipinos.
In July last year during his State of the Nation Address, President Marcos banned all Pogo operations in the country effective December 2024.
However, months after the deadline, authorities continued to find Pogo hubs, which apparently have resorted to various ways to conceal their operations.
‘Remote gambling’
Pagcor introduced the Pigo license in 2018 to regulate and promote the growth of the gaming industry.
It is a special type of license that allows gaming operators to conduct business within the Philippines, including casino games, sports betting and online gambling.
The Pigo license offers several benefits to gaming operators, including a more streamlined application process, reduced regulatory fees, increased flexibility in terms of business operations and tax incentives.
Eligible to get a Pigo license are companies with at least 10 years of experience in the gaming industry and which can meet certain criteria, including a minimum capitalization of P100 million.
Pigo games need to be connected to physical gaming machines or tables such as those available at a physical casino, distinguishing them from traditional online gambling that uses server-based random number generators, thus the Pigo moniker “remote gambling.”
As of June last year, Pagcor said there were 44 Pigo licensees, including the online casino platforms run by companies such as Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, Travellers International Hotel Group, and Thunderbird Pilipinas Hotels and Resorts that offer a range of live dealer games, slots and virtual games to Filipino customers.
The only non-casino operator on the list is bingo hall chain Bingo Plus operated by AB Leisure Exponent, which is owned by listed gaming firm Digiplus Corp. (formerly known as Leisure and Resorts World Corp.).
