The Philippine Entertainment and Gaming Company (Pagcor) has announced it will no longer allow the establishment of a "hub" for the Philippine marine game operator (POGO). The new policy was revealed on Wednesday by Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengko in a Senate investigation into illegal POGO activities.

In July last year, Pagcor introduced a new regulation for POGO, now officially referred to as the "Internet Game License" (IGL).

Tengko (file photo) stressed that the regulator would deploy a "24/7 team" to oversee operations by strictly monitoring the remaining 43 licensed POGO companies in the country.

"I hope we can prevent illegal activities, and if we find them, we can immediately call the police," he said, citing local media outlet The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Tenko described the ban on new POGO hubs as part of an ongoing "enhancement" of regulatory oversight. "We are issuing certain guidelines. We are already banning hubs," he said.

According to available media reports, Tengko did not clarify the meaning of the pogo hub.

The declaration of a ban on pogo hubs follows growing calls from various political circles to completely ban them. Tengko noted that Pagcore would not oppose any decision by Congress and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to enforce the ban.

According to Pagcor's previous statement, the sector is facing criticism due to issues such as tax avoidance, illegal employment and non-payment of appropriate fees, which has tarnished its reputation.

The idea of banning POGO licenses has yet to be formally discussed among cabinet officials, according to remarks by National Economic Development Agency (NEDA) Minister Arsenio Balisakan on Tuesday.

At a Senate hearing, Tengko said former presidential spokesman Harry Locke lobbied for the proclamation company Lucky South 99 Inc in July 2023. The company, which was recently raided on human trafficking and other illegal activities, had to pay back $500,000 in "deferred payments."

Mr Tengko did not press PAGCORE to fix Lucky South 99's problems, but explained that his name was included in the re-application for the licence, which was due to expire in October last year.

A former government official lobbied to license unidentified illegal POGO operations, Pagcore officials said earlier. 바카라사이트

In response, Locke issued a statement denying any illegal POGO advocacy or involvement with Lucky South 99. "I make it clear that I did not agree and have not been notified to include my name in all submissions submitted by Lucky South Pagcore regarding the renewal of the license," he claimed.