PH Senator pushes a Ban to POGOs and All Sort of Online Gambling... - page 9.

kotajikikox

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Quote from: serjent05 on June 30, 2024, 05:22:04 PM

The proposed bill is due to the recent illegal POGO raids where human trafficking, murder, and money laundering were uncovered. Due to this, one of the Philippine senators believes that the best move is to ban POGOs and online gambling all in all and punish any person who is involved in online gambling activity if the bill is approved.

POGO seemed to be only a cover up for the other illegal activities prompted by different kinds of authorities. This definitely gives off a bad image to any kinds of gambling in the country. Which is a shame because the country could benefit economically from online gambling.

I hope they can find a balance between ensuring legal and safe gambling without eradicating all kinds of gambling in the process.

Quote from: acroman08 on July 22, 2024, 08:31:37 AM

I know this thread has been dead for several weeks and I am not sure if anyone is interested but there has been an update about it today. the Philippine president announced that POGO is banned effective today during his SONA.

for anyone curious and want more info about it, here's an article.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/914272/marcos-announces-ban-on-all-pogo/story/

POGO could have been a good asset to the Philippines if they ran it properly but stupid and corrupt officials ruined it and made it a haven for illegal activities for the Chinese.

this make sense , because finally after thousand of controversies ? now the government is acting to what is best and better for their people .

acroman08

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I know this thread has been dead for several weeks and I am not sure if anyone is interested but there has been an update about it today. the Philippine president announced that POGO is banned effective today during his SONA.

for anyone curious and want more info about it, here's an article.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/914272/marcos-announces-ban-on-all-pogo/story/

POGO could have been a good asset to the Philippines if they ran it properly but stupid and corrupt officials ruined it and made it a haven for illegal activities for the Chinese.

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Quote from: serjent05 on June 30, 2024, 05:22:04 PM

This is very bad for the people who love online gambling in the Philippines. A senator of the Philippines proposes a Bill to ban all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) and all kinds of Online Gambling. Any individual involved will be fined up to Php500k(US$8,536) or imprisoned for up to six months. More story on the link below:

Philippines senator pushes for banning POGOs, all forms of online gambling

The proposed bill is due to the recent illegal POGO raids where human trafficking, murder, and money laundering were uncovered. Due to this, one of the Philippine senators believes that the best move is to ban POGOs and online gambling all in all and punish any person who is involved in online gambling activity if the bill is approved.

In my personal view, I do not think there is a need to ban POGO's and online gambling. This is not the fault of a regular individual but the institution behind the gambling regulatory board. Instead of banning and penalizing people who are engaged in gambling activities, the bill should strengthen the regulation and purge the institution of any corrupt official that allows these illegal activities to proliferate. He should implement a bill that will severely punish any government official that engage in illegal gambling activities. Banning POGOs and online gambling is like taking the easiest way out and depriving the Philippine government of the possible revenue that can be generated from these ventures and as if this kind of bill will prevent illegal gambling from existing in a country. I hope this kind of bill won't progress instead take an alternative implementation of cleansing the gambling regulatory board of any corrupt official and holding them accountable for their wicked crimes.

What about you do you think banning offshore gambling operators and online gambling will solve the spread of illegal gambling activities in a country?

I mean, this is like hitting two birds with one stone. Here in the Philippines we're faced with the constant fear that China may just attack us any time of the day, with the recent pressure they are exerting against the West Philippine Sea and nearby territories. With most Chinese Sleeper Agents (this is confirmed by the government) acting as POGO workers from overseas, this is a great way to really pressure the hand of China and make them think twice about assimilating themselves upon the Filipino people.

Plus we're also receiving quite a massive concern with the way that gambling is sensationalized and normalized in our country. A lot of people and content creators here are tempted with the promise of a large sum of money for little to no effort in exchange for getting sponsored on a casino that is not signed to our gambling committee. This not only breaks the law, but also inadvertently subjects people who are down on their luck, and in some worse cases even minors into getting into gambling.

So yeah, smart move if I do say so myself. I'm a gambler at heart and while this will make me stop doing what I loved doing for years now, I wouldn't mind if it means we get a massive benefit out of it.

wxa7115

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Quote from: serjent05 on June 30, 2024, 05:22:04 PM

This is very bad for the people who love online gambling in the Philippines. A senator of the Philippines proposes a Bill to ban all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) and all kinds of Online Gambling. Any individual involved will be fined up to Php500k(US$8,536) or imprisoned for up to six months.

edited

The proposed bill is due to the recent illegal POGO raids where human trafficking, murder, and money laundering were uncovered. Due to this, one of the Philippine senators believes that the best move is to ban POGOs and online gambling all in all and punish any person who is involved in online gambling activity if the bill is approved.

In my personal view, I do not think there is a need to ban POGO's and online gambling. This is not the fault of a regular individual but the institution behind the gambling regulatory board. Instead of banning and penalizing people who are engaged in gambling activities, the bill should strengthen the regulation and purge the institution of any corrupt official that allows these illegal activities to proliferate. He should implement a bill that will severely punish any government official that engage in illegal gambling activities. Banning POGOs and online gambling is like taking the easiest way out and depriving the Philippine government of the possible revenue that can be generated from these ventures and as if this kind of bill will prevent illegal gambling from existing in a country. I hope this kind of bill won't progress instead take an alternative implementation of cleansing the gambling regulatory board of any corrupt official and holding them accountable for their wicked crimes.

What about you do you think banning offshore gambling operators and online gambling will solve the spread of illegal gambling activities in a country?

This is easy to do on paper, as it is easy to pass a law like that when those illegal events have happened, but it is a completely different thing to actually implement that kind of law.

People are going to gamble even if gambling is made illegal, so the only thing this law will do is to give that business to the organized crime, which in return will make a fortune with it, as they do not have to respect any kind of regulation, so the government will go from earning money from the taxes being generated by the gambling industry, to spend a fortune trying to fight those criminal organizations.

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Quote from: Kemarit on July 03, 2024, 07:17:47 AM

Yes, I also had the same impression that this is just a front for the Chinese to infiltrate the Philippines in case that there will be a arm conflict between the two nations. Those building are huge with underground and so they will really need to be strict as to who can enter their countries specially Chinese. And now that one mayor has been suspended if I'm not mistaken as she is proven to be Chinese, maybe a mole and a protector of this Pogo hub.

So you can't blame the Philippine government for acting this way. Maybe this is temporary or it could really be the end of this POGO in the country and then start accounting everything before it got out of hand.

With all the events happening right now in our country, i do hope that they would end this POGO, the Chinese were using this to infiltrate our country so end this thing before it will be out of control. Anyways, the money we get from POGO is not important at the moment, the important for the Philippines right to is to get rid of the Chinese people who are in our country as they might be used if the conflict in the West Philippine sea escalate into further chaos.

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Quote from: acroman08 on July 03, 2024, 06:42:11 AM

Quote from: TheUltraElite on July 03, 2024, 06:16:09 AM

This has to be due to something related to taxation of POGOs. Government there does collect taxes but maybe they are not coughing up enough need to cover it. Due to this they are attempting to ban them. These things are often temporary and they will try to reestablish legal operations soon after some bribery to pay off this. Eventually they will move to illegal operations to continue the flow of money.

Nothing much we can do about it, for addicted gamblers who might feel bad, they will just use casinos other then ones by POGOs. Laws like these only make the news, eventually they get changed. So keep calm and continue playing.

I think it is more about the concern for national security, there have been a lot of Chinese doing illegal activities in the Philippines who are usually connected to one of the companies in POGO. right now there is even a case going on against a government official(a mayor) in the Philippines who is suspected of being a Chinese spy and having a connection to POGO companies and POGO-related crimes.

POGO could really be good for the Philippines if the government handles it properly and does not let stupid corrupt officials manage it.

Yes, I also had the same impression that this is just a front for the Chinese to infiltrate the Philippines in case that there will be a arm conflict between the two nations. Those building are huge with underground and so they will really need to be strict as to who can enter their countries specially Chinese. And now that one mayor has been suspended if I'm not mistaken as she is proven to be Chinese, maybe a mole and a protector of this Pogo hub.

So you can't blame the Philippine government for acting this way. Maybe this is temporary or it could really be the end of this POGO in the country and then start accounting everything before it got out of hand.

acroman08

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Quote from: TheUltraElite on July 03, 2024, 06:16:09 AM

This has to be due to something related to taxation of POGOs. Government there does collect taxes but maybe they are not coughing up enough need to cover it. Due to this they are attempting to ban them. These things are often temporary and they will try to reestablish legal operations soon after some bribery to pay off this. Eventually they will move to illegal operations to continue the flow of money.

Nothing much we can do about it, for addicted gamblers who might feel bad, they will just use casinos other then ones by POGOs. Laws like these only make the news, eventually they get changed. So keep calm and continue playing.

I think it is more about the concern for national security, there have been a lot of Chinese doing illegal activities in the Philippines who are usually connected to one of the companies in POGO. right now there is even a case going on against a government official(a mayor) in the Philippines who is suspected of being a Chinese spy and having a connection to POGO companies and POGO-related crimes.

POGO could really be good for the Philippines if the government handles it properly and does not let stupid corrupt officials manage it.

TheUltraElite

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So anyway, I applied as a merit source :)

This has to be due to something related to taxation of POGOs. Government there does collect taxes but maybe they are not coughing up enough need to cover it. Due to this they are attempting to ban them. These things are often temporary and they will try to reestablish legal operations soon after some bribery to pay off this. Eventually they will move to illegal operations to continue the flow of money.

Nothing much we can do about it, for addicted gamblers who might feel bad, they will just use casinos other then ones by POGOs. Laws like these only make the news, eventually they get changed. So keep calm and continue playing.

Wind_FURY

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Quote from: danherbias07 on July 02, 2024, 05:26:21 AM

I agree with what you said and it's the best possible course for this problem to be cured.
Banning will only make the illegal gambling sites do it in the shadows which means the government will not tax them. That's the worst outcome in what they are trying to do now and I don't think they have any idea how much money is coming in from all these gambling sites.

👍

That's absolutely right. But the beautiful situation that could be built on top of that is, it's an opportunity for censorship-resistant tech like Bitcoin to be utilized as a result of the "government ban". If all of online gambling is truly banned in your country, use that as an opportunity to teach and encourage people about Bitcoin.

Quote from: Wapfika on July 02, 2024, 05:30:20 AM

Quote from: Wind_FURY on July 02, 2024, 03:45:47 AM

But my personal viewpoint is it shouldn't matter what or who is right. We have Bitcoin as a currency to use for gambling if there's truly an absolute ban in each of our countries.

Sadly, the bill which this OP raised regarding our country ban includes online gambling regardless of the currency use such as Bitcoin. Our senators is convinced that any form of online gambling is harmful since it’s widely promoted in social media especially on facebook which many influencers do livestream or insert gambling clip to their content at the end of the video.

I doubt that this law will be successful since there’s a lot of influential people involved on this business which the Philippines government getting support.

That's the point. How can the government of your country stop the use of Bitcoin? It can't shut it down, it can't ban all of the full nodes, they would need to shut off your country from the public internet.

topbitcoin

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Quote from: Wapfika on July 02, 2024, 05:30:20 AM

Quote from: Wind_FURY on July 02, 2024, 03:45:47 AM

But my personal viewpoint is it shouldn't matter what or who is right. We have Bitcoin as a currency to use for gambling if there's truly an absolute ban in each of our countries.

Sadly, the bill which this OP raised regarding our country ban includes online gambling regardless of the currency use such as Bitcoin. Our senators is convinced that any form of online gambling is harmful since it’s widely promoted in social media especially on facebook which many influencers do livestream or insert gambling clip to their content at the end of the video.

I doubt that this law will be successful since there’s a lot of influential people involved on this business which the Philippines government getting support.

Yes maybe that's true, but some clever people can definitely still access online gambling, because honestly online gambling is very difficult to eradicate because it enters many social media sectors for marketing, maybe if physical gambling can still be closed and confiscated by the government if they continue to operate, but it is different from online gambling, where the center is unknown and everyone who knows how to access it will be very easy, even if it is blocked there is still a VPN to access it, so it is quite difficult to prohibit online gambling from continuing to operate.

On the other hand, the problem of advertising online gambling, on Facebook, Instagram and even Google is still very much and difficult for the government to control, unless the social media is closed in the country, it might be the best solution to stop the adoption of online gambling.

In fact, why not just legalize it, and impose taxes, and casinos that do not follow their rules should be severely fined.

TravelMug

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Quote from: Wind_FURY on July 02, 2024, 03:45:47 AM

There are pros and cons to ban and not to ban, and everyone's points is valid if taken from a different viewpoint other than your own.

But my personal viewpoint is it shouldn't matter what or who is right. We have Bitcoin as a currency to use for gambling if there's truly an absolute ban in each of our countries.

That is true, we still have Bitcoin and the rest of the crypto that we can used if we wanted to continue to play online. But I guess for most Filipino gamblers, it's the bad effect of POGO in our countries, plus it's being ran by Chinese and as everyone knows of, there is a tension between us and China regarding our claim on the West Philippine Sea.

So this issues is very intricate right now as it involved politics as well. That's why people says that they want to ban it, but there are others who don't like it because of the tax that the government is going to lose if they put a blanket ban on POGO.

ethereumhunter

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To be honest, if a country banning offshore gambling operators and online gambling, that will not solve the problem because people will search for the other way so they can still playing gambling. That will makes an opportunity for those who have money to build an underground casino and the officials can takes their part to make more "hot" money. But cleansing the gambling regulatory board of any corrupt official and holding them accountable for their wicked crimes can hopes to be done if the government very serious doing that and strict with their action.

But we knows that any corrupt officials already on the government so that will difficult to cleansing that. They even have their networks to hides their activity and knows everything from the government that wants to cleans their government. Maybe the government doesn't have to banning the gambling operator but makes a very strict regulations to control every people who wants to playing gambling.

EluguHcman

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Quote from: serjent05 on June 30, 2024, 05:22:04 PM

What about you do you think banning offshore gambling operators and online gambling will solve the spread of illegal gambling activities in a country?

That is ridiculous, until government authorities finds to their depths that the citizens or the masses freedom and welfare which can be derived from some social activities should be treated cordially, only then the so governments would learn how to manage lawful implementations which suffocates the masses.

Why would an associate with gambling be guilty of crimes and then instead of the government to strickly focus their sanctions or penalties to whom violated the law rather than affecting it with all ramifications of gambling?

Has there been cases of gambling records being ruined individual lives there? Or course not, has it been told that there is a highly percentage of gambling in both online and offline participated to crime ratio affecting the national economy? If course not.
So deeming the ban of gambling to all fractions that relates to gambling?
It is such an invalid or not enough excuse to execute that senators proposal.

Psychologically does the government think about the ease of anxieties or funds the gambling players gains in the gambling activities?

Economically don't know know banning gambling in the entire country may affect the economy revenues and well?
I don't know how some of the government representatives will just keep acting without making research of what their actions may yield to in the society. All they cares is just to exercise their authoritative powers in depressing the masses.

satscraper

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Quote from: serjent05 on June 30, 2024, 05:22:04 PM

What about you do you think banning offshore gambling operators and online gambling will solve the spread of illegal gambling activities in a country?

Such stuff has been under discussions many times here. Various country were trying to ban gambling activities, ether off shore or online, but all in vain as as soon the relevant legislation came in action gambling was moving underground and countries budgets lost money they received from pertaining taxes.

Thus, I think the initiative of this Senator will not get support.

Wapfika

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Quote from: Wind_FURY on July 02, 2024, 03:45:47 AM

But my personal viewpoint is it shouldn't matter what or who is right. We have Bitcoin as a currency to use for gambling if there's truly an absolute ban in each of our countries.

Sadly, the bill which this OP raised regarding our country ban includes online gambling regardless of the currency use such as Bitcoin. Our senators is convinced that any form of online gambling is harmful since it’s widely promoted in social media especially on facebook which many influencers do livestream or insert gambling clip to their content at the end of the video.

I doubt that this law will be successful since there’s a lot of influential people involved on this business which the Philippines government getting support.

danherbias07

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I agree with what you said and it's the best possible course for this problem to be cured.
Banning will only make the illegal gambling sites do it in the shadows which means the government will not tax them. That's the worst outcome in what they are trying to do now and I don't think they have any idea how much money is coming in from all these gambling sites.

There's one conspiracy theory that I have in mind.
Those gambling sites that are based here in our country are the ones that are trying to push this. If you are a Filipino, you know one name that has become popular since it is accepting the fastest deposit mode. GCash. Hint: Bingo!
But it's just me, maybe these senators really think that banning these POGOs will do us good, I am against it too and I second your proposal to just regulate things in a stricter way.

The PAGCOR chief has the same thought.

Quote

“If we outlaw this, they will continue with the illegal operations and we will not be able to collect even just a peso,” he said. “If they are properly monitored and regulated, there are regular visitations – about three or four times a week, randomly – I think they will follow the rules.”

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/14/2362782/pagcor-chief-pushes-pogo-regulation-instead-total-ban

Wind_FURY

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There are pros and cons to ban and not to ban, and everyone's points is valid if taken from a different viewpoint other than your own.

But my personal viewpoint is it shouldn't matter what or who is right. We have Bitcoin as a currency to use for gambling if there's truly an absolute ban in each of our countries.

cryptomaniac_xxx

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Still 50/50 though, for me the government has to blame for all of this. If they just implement it and not allow corruption to happen, then for sure it will be smooth sailing. The problem here is that many could have been involved here that could have been paid in millions to protect someone's investment in their country.

And so it proliferated like this one that it went un-noticed until their Senate investigate a mayor of a city that alleges to be the protector of Pogo and there could be other local government officials.

Quote

"We are calling a next hearing and I hope the PAGCOR chief deems it the right forum to reveal what he knows," Hontiveros said.

"Whoever the ex-cabinet official turns out to be, the fact remains: POGOs are being used as a legal cover for scam hubs,” the senator added.

This comes after Tengco said over the weekend that a certain "former high ranking government official" facilitated the issuance of licenses to recently raided POGO hubs. Tengco added that he will reveal the person’s identity “in the proper forum."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/07/02/2367173/senators-call-pagcor-name-ex-cabinet-official-who-backed-pogos

Dave1

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Quote from: tech30338 on July 01, 2024, 07:18:47 PM

I think its because there are lots of chinese that are undocumented and fuel the fire because of the banban mayor who is in the senate hearing that are being accused of tampering her documents and is a real chinese but keep of denying it, also this pogo's are being connected with the kidnapping of their country men, i have some topics about a digital wallets are being keep on this offices, that has money that are ransoms payments.
I have attach news regarding mayor alice guo.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/05/18/2356111/dilg-recommends-preventive-suspension-vs-bamban-mayor-alice-guo

And it makes this complicated again as it involved a high ranking government official, as a mayor who's supposedly to help his city, now becoming a protector and there are documents found in the raid Pogo hub that bear her name?

That's already as guilty if you're going to asked me. But the question is how far is the Philippines willing to go down the rabbit hole and unravel the person behind, because for sure she is just another pawn here. There could be bigger names that is in China that could be behind all of this.

tech30338

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I think its because there are lots of chinese that are undocumented and fuel the fire because of the banban mayor who is in the senate hearing that are being accused of tampering her documents and is a real chinese but keep of denying it, also this pogo's are being connected with the kidnapping of their country men, i have some topics about a digital wallets are being keep on this offices, that has money that are ransoms payments.
I have attach news regarding mayor alice guo.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/05/18/2356111/dilg-recommends-preventive-suspension-vs-bamban-mayor-alice-guo

Topic: PH Senator pushes a Ban to POGOs and All Sort of Online Gambling... - page 9. (Read 2247 times)