Legit POGOs down to 42 — PAGCOR

The number of legitimate Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs), formerly known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), in the Philippines has decreased to 42 from 46, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said Monday.

PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco said that one license was canceled while three others have been suspended.

“Despite the lower number of IGLs and service providers today, we are proud to say that we collect more fees from them compared with the previous administration,” Tengco said in a statement.

Forty-six firms were granted licenses under Tengco’s administration last year. PAGCOR also issued permits to 20 service providers and 14 permits for special classes of BPOs.

According to PAGCOR, each IGL pays a guarantee fee of $100,000 monthly or 2% of their gross gaming revenues, whichever is higher.

They also pay between $25,000 and $100,000 monthly in administrative fees, depending on the size of their operation.

PAGCOR said it expects to generate P6.5 billion from the IGLs, lower than the P7.9 billion collected from licensees in 2023.

The agency previously said that outlawing IGLs could cause more harm than good amid calls to ban POGO operations.

This comes amid consecutive raids against POGO hubs in the country.

In March, authorities rescued more than 800 Filipinos and foreign nationals at a large POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac after it was raided for alleged illegal activities that include crypto and love scams.

Authorities also rescued 158 Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysians in a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News