Philippines Senate President Francis Escudero has urged a review of inland gaming operators, known as PIGOs, warning they may pose similar issues to the offshore gaming industry that was banned last year.
“We should review this,” Escudero said in a statement issued on 1 March. “Because the ill effects that we want to avoid are most likely present in PIGOs, which affect only Filipinos and not foreigners.”
He likened PIGOs (Philippine Inland Gaming Operations) to POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations), which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned last year due to links to money laundering, human trafficking, prostitution, and fraud.
POGOs targeted online casino customers abroad, particularly in mainland China, while PIGOs cater to players within the Philippines.
As quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Escudero acknowledged that "Pagcor earns a significant amount of money from this. It’s a major source of revenue and income." However, he argued that since the government was willing to forgo the substantial revenue from POGOs, it should be prepared to do the same with PIGOs—especially if they negatively impact Filipino citizens.
Escudero has previously advocated for a total ban on gambling in the Philippines. “Whether it’s POGO, PIGO, or casinos—if we truly believe they harm society, we should prohibit them all.”
Regulate, don’t eliminate
A complete gambling ban remains unlikely, according to Unicapital Securities Equity Research Analyst Jeri R. Alfonso. In a statement on Viber, she noted that Pagcor is now the Philippines’ “third-largest revenue source, following the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.” In 2024, the gaming regulator contributed PHP4.59 billion (£62.6 million/€75.6 million/$79.6 million) in cash dividends.
“Shutting down online gambling entirely would significantly impact government finances,” Alfonso explained. “We believe a total ban is improbable.”
China Bank Capital Managing Director Juan Paolo E. Colet echoed this view, warning that a ban would “unnecessarily strip the government of billions of pesos in vital revenue.”
“Pagcor already has a strong regulatory framework that ensures a sustainable gaming sector, meets significant market demand, and supports government social programs,” he stated.
Colet also cautioned that prohibiting online gambling could push Filipino players toward illegal operators, creating a bigger problem. “Regulation is the smarter approach—elimination would be worse for everyone,” he added.
Last month, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Marcos administration to suspend all online gambling, citing concerns that former POGO operators may have infiltrated the local industry.
Pagcor introduced PIGOs in 2018, two years after legalizing POGOs.
