THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said the real risk to national security does not come from legitimate and licensed offshore gaming operations (POGOs) but from hackings and scam syndicates operated by foreigners.
“We do not need to outlaw POGOs; what we need to do is intensify anti-crime operations against suspected alien hackers, against scammers and cyber-criminals who are usually hiding in highly secured buildings and compounds,” PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said in a statement.
Tengco said legitimate Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) helped fund the government, contributing more than P5 billion to the agency’s gross revenues in 2023.
“To us, the real threat is the alien hacking and scam syndicates who operate underground, and they are the ones that our law enforcement agencies are trying to locate and dismantle,” Tengco said. “And we are cooperating fully with the authorities in this regard.”
He added that the said syndicates are “not engaged in offshore gaming at all, and even if they are, they are doing it illegally.”
“So they are the real threat, and we must go after them with everything that we have,” Tengco noted.
“We should not blame and demonize our licensed gaming operators because these are closely monitored by PAGCOR,” he emphasized.
Tengco said that PAGCOR has embedded monitoring teams in all areas of licensed gaming operators “to ensure compliance with the terms of their licenses.
