Significantly elevating its efforts to eradicate the illegal gambling market and evolve the country’s sector, Filipino authorities have revealed plans to ban Pogo hubs.
The PAGCOR has underlined its overall ambition to strengthen safeguards against offshore gambling taking place in the region.
According to local news outlet the Inquirer, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, revealed that strengthened guidelines will be brought out in the near future in a bid to combat illicit activity.
At the heart of the new approach is increased monitoring, which Tengco stated can lead to them deterring offshore betting operations and ensure authorities deliver a quick response.
PAGCOR initially introduced hubs in 2019 in order to differentiate communications between Chinese workers and local Filipinos. However, PAGCOR’s latest plans outline that hubs will eventually be outlawed, and the regulator won’t allow for the opening of any new hubs.
Controversy around the hubs has escalated in recent years amidst a string of raids across the country. The venues have also been linked to human trafficking allegations.
Furthermore, the Philippines has also pinpointed 2025 as a deadline to become delisted from the ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
All remaining shortcomings are to be addressed by the relevant government agencies in the country, as well as the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) of the Philippines.
