Nearly a year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the shutdown of offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, lawmakers have now moved to make the ban permanent.
On Monday, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 2868, known as the Anti-POGO Act, officially outlawing offshore gaming and establishing safeguards for public protection. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who sponsored the bill, called it a response to the public’s demand to end the “POGO menace.” The House followed suit on Tuesday, approving a companion bill in a 172-1 vote.
The POGO industry, which began under former President Rodrigo Duterte with the 2021 enactment of Republic Act 11590, aimed to generate PHP32 billion annually in tax revenues, largely for healthcare funding. However, actual collections fell far short, with just PHP3.91 billion in 2021 and PHP8.88 billion in 2022.
Beyond financial underperformance, POGOs became notorious for criminal activity and public controversy. Reports linked the sector to scams, abuse, and human trafficking. In 2024, thousands of workers were rescued from illegal POGO compounds, where they were allegedly forced into online scams and endured threats and torture. President Marcos later denounced the industry for evolving from regulated operations into hubs of organized crime.
The new legislation includes asset seizures, deportations, and enhanced enforcement. Around 9,000 foreign POGO workers reportedly remain in the country, defying orders to leave. Despite recent arrests – 750 foreigners detained across 10 raids this year- authorities are struggling with overcrowded detention centers.
Gilbert Cruz of the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission called for a centralized database and stronger local coordination to track and eliminate underground POGO activity.
