Pagcor defends offshore gaming plan

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has defended its plan to roll out offshore gaming, saying it is within the bounds of its charter.

Pagcor issued this statement after a non-government organization, Union for National Development and Good Governance-Philippines (UNLAD-Philippines) asked the Supreme Court to nullify the offshore licenses issued by Pagcor.

UNLAD-Philippines argued Pagcor was not authorized under its charter (Presidential Decree 1869) to either operate or regulate internet gambling that caters to foreign-based players and gamblers outside the Philippine jurisdiction.

“On the heels of these reports, Pagcor would like to clarify that it has been functioning within the bounds of its charter to operate, authorize and license games of chance, games of cards, and games of numbers in the Philippines,” the agency said.

Pagcor said gaming or gambling is “a game of scheme, whether upon chance or skills wherein wagers consisting of money or articles of value or representative of value are made.”

“Based on this definition, the situs of the player is immaterial. Hence, as long as the game is produced and its operation managed within the Philippine territory, it falls within Pagcor’s jurisdiction,” it argued.

The agency has rolled out the so-called Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) or simply called offshore gaming to regulate online gaming which is being produced in the Philippines despite being streamed abroad.

Offshore gaming will be conducted via internet using a network and software to be offered exclusively to offshore authorized players who have registered and established an online gaming account with the licensee.

Only foreigners based in another country will be authorized players, according to Pagcor.

Under the rules,  foreign nationals who are staying in the Philippines and Filipinos residing abroad are not allowed to take part in the online gaming activity.

The Star earlier reported that Pagcor had already issued 35 offshore gaming licenses under the POGO regime.

“With the launch of POGO, Pagcor has already collected P936 million from the application and processing fees alone. This excludes the gaming taxes to be paid in the coming months,” Pagcor said.

Considering that Pagcor remits more or less 72 percent of its gross revenues to the government and its mandated beneficiaries, the revenues it will generate from POGO will certainly help Pagcor in further fulfilling its role as the government’s partner in nation-building.