Known as POGOs, several illegal operators were recently embroiled in a controversy that saw an offshore gaming hub in Sun Valley Clark shut down. The allegations levied against the operators based there ranged from human trafficking to illegal gambling, with the Philippines recently involved in an international scandal.
CDC Takes Issue with New POGOs
Criminals opportunistically “stole” a domain name in the United States intended to raise awareness about national history that was repurposed by an illegal gambling operator in the Philippines to promote gambling instead. Meanwhile, PAGCOR confirmed on Tuesday that the CDC Board of Directors have agreed to stop POGOs and related service providers from operating out of Clark Freeport Zone.
This comes only a few days after PAGCOR said that it will go after sub-licensing and prohibit POGOs to engage in such services moving forward. CDC president and CEO Agnes Devanadera commented on the latest decision, arguing that the CDC would no longer process or approve the license of any gaming entity overseas if they are already registered with PAGCOR.
This means that the currently remaining POGOs in Clark Freeport Zone are the only ones that may offer products – until their licenses expire. So far, that makes four entities. PAGCOR issued its own statement on Monday, arguing that sub-licenses POGOs would no longer be allowed to actually engage in sub-licensing.
PAGCOR Takes a Tougher Stance on POGOs
The cascade of enforcement and legal action began last month when PAGCOR focused on Sun Valley Clark and unearthed a number of questionable practices in the self-proclaimed gaming hub, including cryptocurrency scams, human trafficking, and illegal gambling.
One of the sanctioned entities was CGC Technologies, which faced allegations of credit card fraud, human trafficking, and serious illegal detention. PAGCOR confirmed that it would be issuing show-cause orders worth $50,000 to offending entities that engage in sub-licensing.
Fiona Simmons
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