🔠The President of the Philippines 🇵🇭 Announces a Complete Ban on POGOs

🔠The President of the Philippines 🇵🇭 Announces a Complete Ban on POGOs

In response to recent scandals and as part of a crackdown on foreign criminal syndicates (primarily Chinese), Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has decided to shut down these operations.

🔠 Let's clarify what a “POGO” is. These are offshore gaming operators that in October 2023 were renamed "online gaming licensees". Essentially, it's an unofficial term for platforms based in the Philippines that offer slot machines and sports betting to markets outside the country, particularly the Chinese 🇨🇳 market... or rather, they used to.

🔠 According to the regulator, there are more than 40 licensed offshore operators in the Philippines, along with numerous illegal gaming centers that Marcos has ordered to close by the end of the year.

🔠 Underlying this are diplomatic issues with China: according to the Philippine ambassador to China, most identified cybercriminals are Chinese citizens, and the majority of victims are also Chinese.

🔠 Cultural Note: The population of the Philippines is 114,163,719 people, with a GDP of $9356 USD. Culturally, gambling in this region is not just entertainment but a way to honor the dead. During wakes, betting games, lotteries, and card tables are often organized. They often play "sakla", a Filipino version of Spanish cards, and donate part of the winnings to the deceased's family to cover funeral expenses. Even children participate in bets, organizing spider fights specifically for them.

The practice of gambling at wakes is so popular (and mostly legal) that gambling syndicates use it for their own purposes, organizing "fake" wakes to gather serious gamblers... For this, it's enough to rent a corpse from a local morgue.

#news #Asia #gambling #betting

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