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

[darkangel11]

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.

First of all, this is only a proposal. Do you know how many proposals to ban bitcoin there were in the US Congress? I haven't counted, but many. None of them was approved though.
Don't worry about it yet, the process takes a long time and unless that Senator has some serious support for that bill, it's not going to pass, or at least not in the first try. 
Then it should be said that any country that puts people in jail for something as small as gambling is an authoritarian state.

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

In short, I'm against it.

[Zlantann]

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 see this ban as a wrong move by the government. They cannot decide to ban an activity because some individuals are using it for criminal activities. The ideal thing is to look for means to control the online gambling industry to prevent these criminals from using them. The government should also create avenues where these criminals can be identified easily. Now, those caught using online gambling platforms to engage in these negative vices should be openly prosecuted and punished. This might discourage others from engaging in this corrupt practices.

Banning online gambling will affect people who were enjoying this form of entertainment and also making some money from it. It can also cause unemployment since these online platforms are employers of labor. This ban might also give rise to scams and illegal online gambling platforms. I suspect that the government wants gamblers to focus on brick-and-mortar gambling firms to enable easy collection of taxes.

[blockman]

This means Filipinos aren't allowed to gamble anymore? what about users in this forum that are actively gambling and promoting gambling lol, could I say they're criminals (because they broke the laws)? lol.

Nope, it's still a proposal. There have been issues like this from the past administration that they did disabled online gambling but then later on lifted that ban.

They all should learn about privacy right now by using Tor, DEX, privacy tools, or privacy coins, as they want to hide against the government that could caught them.

Many of have this idea already and you'll be surprised about the proliferation of gambling ads on our country through influencer marketing.

[Wexnident]

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Definitely won't solve anything. As I've always said before, banning stuff just pushes companies into doing them while hidden instead of being in the open when it's legal. The POGO issue we had should've never been an issue in the first place if the people at the top were doing their jobs properly lol. I mean you can imagine how incompetent the people at the top are when they accepted someone with an unsure/unverified identity as the mayor of a city, where said city was where the POGO issue happened. 100% a bandaid solution the senator pushed since he/she wanted to be relevant or thought of as "doing something" for this problem since this issue became a pretty big thing here.

[Mr.right85]

From all I've seen and experienced about the government banning something or an activity that several many people are engaged in, it has never help solve the issue the government banned that thing or activity for, rather in some situations, the ban tend to be counter productive where it acts as in advertisment, which means, more people get to discover and join that activity, even while it's banned.

Banning a thing has been known to only create a different market for it. It never had the effect the government would have want as willing individuals go the extra length to look for loopholes, window of opportunities to satisfy a want to do, not to mention gambling. This ban will only create an underground network where gamblers would gamble with zero regulations and this could even result to violence since, the rules would be what is decided then and there.

I don’t know how smuggling, murder, trafficking and all have come to be associated with gambling in this raid of the POGO but, a lot should be put into consideration before this operation cut the head of a snake that could only rejuvenate its head.

Jail time for law breakers is a good punishment for law breakers if agents within the POGO sector is found guilty of some crime but having to relieve people of their jobs and means of livelihood as well as restrict those that would have wished to play regulated gambling would only cast a shadow on not just the economy but the social life of the people of the PH.

[Samlucky O]

I don't see a tangible reason while the government of Philippines will have to ban pogo online gambling or place a fine of about $8.5k on any one that is caught. As far as I know, illegal activities don by citizens of a country doesn't concern gamblers. What I see is lack of planing by the government. I don't know the pleasure government derive from making citizens pay for what gives them joy. According to research pogo gambling happens to be what most Filipino usually makes money from, and seeing government ban it, is not a good sign of leadership. These days government leave to fight for corruption, drug abuse, stealing, child trafficking, cyber crimes and many more illegal activities and heads towards closing down of many gambling sites which might not even solve the problem. Because when they leave to fight the right thing and go for the wrong thing, definitely crime will still continue. So I don't think what they did is right. Even if they close pogo down I believe close door gambling will still go on. Because gambling has been in existence many years ago before we even existed, so wether they like it or not, gambling will still go on. and even the fine they want people to pay will not be paid because there will be no trace of any gambling activity when there is no evidence.

[ultrloa]

~

Definitely won't solve anything. As I've always said before, banning stuff just pushes companies into doing them while hidden instead of being in the open when it's legal. The POGO issue we had should've never been an issue in the first place if the people at the top were doing their jobs properly lol. I mean you can imagine how incompetent the people at the top are when they accepted someone with an unsure/unverified identity as the mayor of a city, where said city was where the POGO issue happened. 100% a bandaid solution the senator pushed since he/she wanted to be relevant or thought of as "doing something" for this problem since this issue became a pretty big thing here.

Yes won't solve anything since they can't control everything what happen online so for sure that online gambling will be still rampant on Philippines. Instead of including all casinos to be banned maybe they should create a law that penalize those certain abuse happening and create also a enforcement group that can monitor the online gambling activities which operating in their country maybe for that they can solve all those issues they find and their earnings from those industry will not get affected. Since they find illegalities of those POGO hubs then I guess there's nothing wrong to eliminate them since that would serve as a warning to other operators that they cannot do those illegal things on Philippines so they must run their business clean so they would not eliminated on Philippines. What they do is not only a band aid solution but also they want to be a hero so people will look them as good politician since election is coming and expect that there would be a lot of grand standing so that people will remember their names and vote them again.

[Darker45]

This is very bad for the people who love online gambling in the Philippines.

This is actually not a loss to online gamblers in the country. Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) can actually serve bettors from other countries only. They are not allowed to serve Filipinos. Hence, offshore.

This is a loss to the country, however, in the sense that revenues will be lost if there is a ban. But I think the revenue isn't worth it. After all, many of these POGOs are operating without paying taxes. Furthermore, many of them are operating scams including cryptocurrency scams. Not to mention that their operations include torture, trafficking, rape, and other crimes.

I'm for the ban.

[Potato Chips]

And many countries like australia, if i remember correctly, have banned offshore online gambling. Casinos tend to comply with the restrictions. Not that all of the users would be banned, because people play with VPN and fake passports etc, but that comes with a possibility of getting your account frozen and money seized. So it's not safe to play with huge amounts anymore.

I think it also depends on how serious the country appears to be like how likely are they to go after the platform for a fine. There are countries where gambling is prohibited or at least needs a license for a casino to legally target locals but offshore casinos typically don't ban e.g. Indonesia and some countries in middle east. Who knows if offshore casinos will also comply with PH 🤔

[tech30338]

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

[Dave1]

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.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

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.

"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

[Wind_FURY]

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.

[danherbias07]

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.

“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

[Wapfika]

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.

[satscraper]

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.

[EluguHcman]

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.

[ethereumhunter]

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.