Banned! POGO, Jueteng and Lotto

Effective today, all POGOs are banned. The President’s announcement in his 3rd SONA on July 22 elicited the most extended round of applause—wild and redeeming.  It brought many smiles to millions of Filipinos’ faces for a while. What’s next? Jueteng, Lotto?

With the 2025 Midterm Elections around the corner, it is good news! Banning POGOs is banning an evil source of campaign and election funds that would help deter fraud and reduce incidents of massive vote buying that propel corrupt and inept politicians to top government positions. The POGO ban displeased many politicians and their henchmen, who bankrolled their election campaigns with guns, goons, and gold. But would the ban on POGO suffice to end it?  

Narcopolitics is still well and alive despite RA 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and bloody campaigns. Political dynasties continue to reign all over the land despite the constitutional ban and the Supreme Court ruling.

POGO industry

The notorious online gambling operating in the Philippines called the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOs have long been the subject of incessant calls from various sectors to shut down. Alongside the illegal game Jueteng and the legalized numbers game Lotto, the POGOs are a vast source of money that can launch small and unknown personalities to superstar politicians in power. The Banban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo Senate investigation demonstrated the immense impact of POGO syndicates in influencing and controlling the political life of a locality and the country.  What makes it doubly sickening is that the whole process of acquisition of money and power becomes legal and openly legitimate.

The POGO is an easy way for online players to earn big money. A “data analyst” commands a monthly salary of P80,000 to P150,000 working in a local POGO registered and licensed by the government agency, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Jobs are open to Chinese people who enjoy other perks and benefits. Filipinos are few in the POGO workforce. Most of the casino patrons are Chinese and Koreans. According to my reliable sources in the Chinese community here, gambling is illegal and punishable in China.  It was a way of life before the establishment of the Communist People›s Republic of China. Now, the only city with casinos operating openly is in Macao.

“Like in other nationalities, there are also Chinese who want the easy way to earn their living through gambling,” John Lee (not his real name) explained. It is understandable that when POGO is mentioned, the Chinese are easily the butt of jokes. Sinophobia or anti-Chinese sentiment has seeped in.

The POGO industry in the Philippines boomed during the Duterte administration. Reports have linked the POGOs to crime syndicates engaged in human trafficking, kidnapping, robbery-extortion, and other illegal acts. Reports also show that many local and national politicians benefited significantly from the POGO coffers alone in their electoral campaign to victory.

There are now 50 legal POGOs and 30 illegal POGOs. With P33 M, one can set up a legal POGO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). PAGCOR reported that POGOs contributed P20 B to the economy in three years. The profitability of POGOs is undeniable, and even schools and churches would join up to raise funds for charity. A 20-hectare island, POGO Island, is being set up in Cavite. The industry is overtaking the profitability of BPOs.  Globally, online gambling grew from USD 45 Billion in 2017 to USD 94 B in 2024.

Jueteng and Lotto

The POGO is the biggest addition to the gambling industry in the Philippines including Jueteng, Masiao, and the legal LOTTO with the government Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Jueteng is an enduring numerical pastime that has made an indelible mark on the Philippines since the 1800s, persisting in its illicit status since the onset of the 20th century.  Other illegal gambling includes other unauthorized online gambling sites, unregulated cockfighting operations, E-sabong (online cockfighting) without permits, and slot machines. These continue to proliferate and seem not to stop, even with perceived police crackdowns in Bicol and other parts of the country. A few days ago, POGO proponents suggested replacing the POGO, the IGL, or the Internet Gaming Licenses with valid operating licenses. Abangan!

More meaningful

The paradigm of greed of a few and poverty of the many have contributed to the social vulnerabilities in this country. Poverty and inequality persist across all regions and erode society’s moral fiber.  A culture of “Chamba,” “bahala na,” a game of chance and deprivation among the majority poor vis a culture of greedy economic accumulation and privilege for a few, has deepened the wedge in the last decades. Major government policies, programs, and projects like the POGO, given their exclusionary nature to benefit only a few, beg whether all these are worth it in the first place.  

The President’s BAN All POGO declaration would have a more strategic and significant impact on most poor Filipinos. A more comprehensive program for genuine industrialization would raise the quality of life of people experiencing poverty by creating equal opportunities for land and shelter, health, education, and decent jobs.