The Rise and Fall of POGOs in the Philippines

What is a POGO?

A Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) is a company that provides online gambling services to customers outside the Philippines. These businesses were licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), but they were strictly prohibited from offering services to Filipinos. Their primary market was China, where gambling is largely illegal, making the Philippines an attractive hub for offshore gaming.

POGOs typically ran:

• Casino-style games (e.g., online poker, baccarat, roulette)
• Sports betting
• Lottery and e-gaming platforms

Since Chinese players couldn’t legally access these services in their own country, POGOs hired thousands of Chinese workers for customer support and operations, often setting up massive call centers in Makati, Pasay, and Clark. The influx of foreign workers fueled a real estate boom and stimulated local businesses, making POGOs look like an economic goldmine—until things started to unravel.

The Economic Boom and Its Cracks

At their height, POGOs were a major economic driver. Office spaces filled up, property values skyrocketed, and businesses catering to the sector—restaurants, transportation services, and retail stores—flourished. But this rapid expansion outpaced government regulation, creating opportunities for illicit activities.

The industry soon became riddled with corruption, tax evasion, and illegal employment. Many operators underreported their earnings, dodged taxes, and exploited workers with fake work permits and abusive labor conditions. What started as a promising industry quickly devolved into a law enforcement and regulatory nightmare.

Corruption and Political Ties

As the government scrambled to regain control, corruption scandals exposed deep connections between POGOs and high-ranking officials.

The Harry Roque Scandal

By mid-2024, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) revealed that former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque had attempted to facilitate gaming licenses for illegal POGOs. This wasn’t just about one politician—it exposed systemic corruption at the highest levels of government.

The scandal raised serious questions:

• How many other officials were protecting POGOs?
• Was the government’s crackdown legitimate, or was it just a PR move?

The Case of Mayor Alice Guo

Another shocking figure in the POGO scandal was Alice Guo, the former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. Elected in 2022, she was soon linked to illegal POGO hubs that operated in her jurisdiction.

A raid on one such site exposed human trafficking, cyber scams, and other crimes tied to Chinese nationals posing as business owners. But what really fueled speculation were allegations that Guo had ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Reports suggested that her mayoral campaign had been backed by China’s Ministry of State Security—a claim she vehemently denied, though inconsistencies in her personal records only deepened suspicions.

After being suspended for misconduct, Guo fled the country, only to be caught in Indonesia and deported back to the Philippines to face charges.

POGOs and Organized Crime

The issues with POGOs extended far beyond illegal gambling. The industry became a hub for human trafficking, forced labor, prostitution rings, and even contract killings.

Between 2017 and 2023, the Philippine National Police recorded over 4,000 crime victims linked to POGOs, many of them Chinese workers lured under false promises. Simultaneously, so-called “scam hubs” emerged—massive call centers where trafficked individuals were forced to run investment frauds, romance scams, and other cybercrimes targeting victims worldwide.

Corrupt Law Enforcement and Security Firms

Despite multiple government raids and shutdowns, top-level POGO operators remained untouchable. The reason? Corrupt law enforcement and security firms allegedly protected them.

• Insider tip-offs allowed operators to escape before raids.
• Security firms guarding POGO hubs allegedly did more than just provide protection—they actively shielded illegal activities from authorities.
• Government officials were suspected of receiving bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to POGO-related crimes.

With these protections in place, POGOs continued operating freely, even when the government claimed to be cracking down.

The Final Ban—But Not the End

By late 2024, public outrage and mounting pressure forced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take decisive action. He issued Executive Order No. 74, officially banning all offshore and internet gaming operations in the Philippines.

But shutting down POGOs didn’t eliminate the problem. Many operators simply:

• Moved underground, continuing operations in secret.
• Relocated to other countries with lax regulations.
• Shifted to other scams, exploiting Filipinos through fraudulent job offers that turned out to be fronts for cybercrime.

Reports indicate that some deported POGO bosses are now running scam hubs from abroad, still targeting victims in the Philippines and beyond.

The Bigger Picture

The rise and fall of POGOs is a cautionary tale of what happens when economic interests are prioritized over proper regulation.

What began as a billion-dollar industry ended up exposing deep-seated corruption, organized crime, and national security risks. While the official ban has forced POGOs into retreat, the networks behind them remain active—waiting for the next opportunity to resurface.