PAGCOR eyes random checks of offshore gaming operations

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) might conduct random inspections of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) to intercept illegal workers.

“We are looking into having random checks among all of the POGOs, basta ira-random check namin,” PAGCOR chairperson Andrea Domingo said at a news forum on Wednesday.

“Pag may nahuli kami doon na illegal worker, malaki ang fine at pag nag-occur twice, pwede na naming i-revoke ang license,” she added.

There are 56 licensed POGOs and 200 service providers supporting their operations in the country, the PAGCOR chief said.

There is a 20 percent ratio among workers, said Joey Tria, assistant vice president at the gaming regulator’s offshore licensing department.

This means one Filipino to four foreigners employed by POGOs.

A majority of foreign workers in POGOs are call center agents who speak Mandarin and Cantonese. Filipinos largely make up the workforce in IT support system, live studios, and platform providers, Tria said.

PAGCOR, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation have netted more than 170 illegal online gambling operations so far this year, he said.

Most of the special work permits issued by the government to foreign workers in the last three years went to Chinese nationals working for POGOs, according to data from the Labor department.

Almost half, or 51,980 of 115,652, of the alien employment permits issued by the Labor department in the same period went to Chinese nationals as well, according to official figures shown at a Senate hearing on Monday. —VDS, GMA News