Philippines declares itself “POGO-free” after crackdown on offshore gaming sector

The Philippines says it is now “POGO-free” after a sweeping crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, marking the clearest official signal yet that Manila considers the sector shut down following the legal ban and months of enforcement pressure.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida told reporters that no POGO hubs are currently operating in the country, with local reporting framing the statement as the government’s formal declaration that the Philippines is now “POGO-free.” In other words, the latest message from Manila is not only that POGOs are banned in law, but that authorities believe the remaining operating hubs have been closed as part of the post-ban crackdown.

The declaration is the culmination of a policy shift that began in July 2024, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the closure of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators by the end of that year. At the time, Reuters reported that PAGCOR would cancel licenses and wind down the sector, even though the government expected to lose substantial tax and licensing revenue from the shutdown.

That political decision was later hardened into permanent law. Republic Act No. 12312, the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, states that offshore gaming operations in the Philippines are “banned and declared unlawful.” The law also permanently revokes POGO licenses, bars the issuance of new permits, cancels related visas and work permits, and places enforcement oversight under an inter-agency structure led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, with the DOJ taking the lead if needed.

The tougher stance did not emerge in isolation. Before the ban was formalized, Philippine authorities had already been intensifying raids against illegal offshore gaming firms amid allegations linking parts of the sector to human trafficking, kidnapping, scam operations and other organized crime risks. Reuters reported in mid-2024 that illegal operators far outnumbered licensed ones, helping explain why the government eventually moved from tighter oversight to outright prohibition.

For the gambling industry, the significance of the latest declaration lies in the shift from phaseout to claimed completion. The official position is no longer simply that POGOs are prohibited, but that the Philippines now considers the model effectively dismantled on its territory. Whether underground or cross-border activity can be fully eliminated remains a separate enforcement question, but as a regulatory and political statement, Manila is clearly closing the chapter on the POGO era. This last point is an inference based on the DOJ statement, the 2024 shutdown order, and the 2025 law.