No licensed Pogo hubs next to military camps, says Philippines' gaming corp
MANILA: The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) on Thursday (June 13) said it has not issued any licenses to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (Pogo) sites operating next to military camps.

Pagcor chairman Alejandro Tengco (pic) made the assurance as Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged the government to stop Pogo operations near military bases.

“I just want to inform Secretary Teodoro that Pagcor did not issue a licence to any Pogo hub next to any military camp,” Tengco said in a radio dwPM interview.

"So obviously, those hubs that are said to be next to those military camps are illegal," he added.

Teodoro made the call amid lingering suspicions about the Pogo site locations, with security expert Chester Cabalza even calling it a “Trojan horse” that could be used by China to stage a “surprise attack” against vital military installations.

Porac, Bamban Pogos among unlicensed 250 sites

The recent Pogo raid in Porac, Pampanga yielded suspicious findings, such as a suspected People’s Liberation Army uniform and insignia.

The alleged involvement of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in the Pogo site near Bamban’s municipal hall also made headlines, with the mayor’s real identity and citizenship also being questioned.

Tengco, however, noted that the Pogo sites in Porac and Bamban are included in the 250 offshore gaming sites that had their licences revoked after Pagcor’s crackdown last year.

"Actually, those big operations—in Bamban and Porac—no longer have Pagcor licences," he said.

Only 43 sites accredited

Tengco said that they placed about 300 Pogos under probationary status sometime in September last year and only 46 of them got their licenses back.

Another crackdown was conducted on these remaining 46 sites, trimming down the total number of accredited sites —now termed as internet gaming licensees (IGL)—to 43.

"About 300 were granted licenses by the last Pagcor administration after a thorough study, and we found out that what they are doing is no longer related to gaming.

"So we decided sometime in September 2023 to put all of them on probationary status, and after that, it was carefully screened.," Tengco said in a radio dwPM interview.

"After this, there are only about 46 left. The real problem is not the licensees of Pagcor but the approximately 250 [Pogo operators] who have not been granted a licence again yet are still operating illegally," he continued.

Also, Tengco said that most of the remaining 43 IGL sites are confined within Metro Manila.

"Three of those forty-six sites were suspended by Pagcor only recently. We feel that they were conducting bad practices that went against the new Pagcor regulation. So, we immediately suspended the three. Only 43 are currently active internet gaming licensees," he added.

“What is clear about the remaining 43 is that they are within the Metro Manila area—maybe there are only one or two within the outskirts of Metro Manila—and we do not notice that they are doing illegal activities," he added. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Philippines,licence,Pogo hubs,military camps,Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor),Alejandro Tengco,Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
MANILA: The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) on Thursday (June 13) said it has not issued any licenses to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (Pogo) sites operating next to military camps.