Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN APR 2021 72 Beijing has made its opposition to nations that allow Chinese players to be targeted by online gambling sites well known. 中国は、オンラインギャンブルプラットフォームを通じて中国人をターゲットにしていると見なした国に対する取り組みを強化している COLUMNISTS 60% of those were in 2019, but remarkably the other 40% were from 2020. This number is higher than what is reported by PAGCOR, which perhaps points to the human trafficking issue. Issues still remain on the employment front, as foreign workers are brought into the Philippines to keep up with these operations. Recent reports detail even the “selling” of workers between different service providers. Most of these individuals are Chinese nationals but have come from other regions of Asia, even leading to kidnappings. A recent report highlighted a Taiwanese national who had been traded between POGOs. While the POGO industry continues to evolve, significant reform will need to take place. The government continues to take the right steps to curb anti-money laundering and implement tax reform. No gaming operator in the Philippines or anywhere else should be void of paying taxes on their gross gaming revenue. However, the more disturbing thing that continues to plague POGOs is the employment and human trafficking issues. POGOs could be a strong source of revenue for PAGCOR in addition to its brick-and- mortar casinos but they need to be wrangled in the right manner so they can become respectable operations conducted by responsible operators and service providers. Until this occurs, they will continue to boast an unsavory reputation and one that will dissuade other markets around the world from launching online gaming as a revenue source due to the problems associated with it in the Philippines.