Review pushed on PAGCOR power to police offshore gaming industry

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday called for a review of the regulatory powers of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) over the offshore gaming industry following the raid conducted on an internet gaming licensee (IGL) found to be involved in illegal activities, including prostitution.

Gatchalian filed Senate Resolution No. 853 on Monday and urged the appropriate committee to investigate the October 27 raid on a building housing an online gaming hub which was located near the Pasay City Sub-station 1.

Gatchalian said the investigation will try to find out if PAGCOR has the ability “to properly regulate the operations that contributed to the failure to abate the commission of various crimes perpetrated by internet gaming licensees.”

“It is imperative that the power and capability of PAGCOR to regulate the gaming industry be reviewed,” he said.

Following the recommendation of Gatchalian’s committee to ban the operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, PAGCOR issued a revised offshore gaming regulations known as the Internet Gaming Licensing Regulations which took effect on July 12, 2023, and mandated existing POGO licensees and accredited service providers to re-apply under the new regulations.

The new regulations, according to the regulatory agency, provides for stricter controls over the offshore gaming industry.

PAGCOR is mandated to regularly conduct inspections and compliance review any time after the issuance of internet gaming licenses to confirm the legality of the conduct of operations of its licensees.

But just three months after the implementation of PAGCOR’s Internet Gaming Licensing Regulations, the IGL hub raided in Pasay City has been found engaging in illegal activities, including prostitution, human trafficking, torture, kidnapping for ransom, and online scams.

Sen. Grace Poe has earlier slammed the decision of PAGCOR to rebrand POGOs to internet gaming licensees (IGLs), which she said was intended to supposedly serve as a cover to hide the industry’s illegal activities.

Poe has said that the change in acronym and name of internet gaming entities should not be used to camouflage the illicit