The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed on final reading a bill that seeks to outlaw all forms of offshore gaming operations in the Philippines, marking a major legislative step toward ending Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
With 172 lawmakers voting in favor, one opposing, and none abstaining, House Bill No. 10987 was approved during the plenary session on Tuesday. The bill had previously cleared second reading before the midterm election break earlier this year.
If signed into law, the measure will make it illegal for any individual or entity to facilitate, operate, support, or maintain any component of offshore gaming—be it through betting, service provision, logistics, or use of gaming paraphernalia. Even those aiding or protecting such activities will be held liable.
Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, one of the bill’s authors, strongly welcomed its approval. “It’s about time,” Manuel said. “Noon pang nakaraang kongreso, nirehistro na ng Kabataan ang mahigpit na pagtutol sa pagkakaroon ng POGO sa bansa.” He emphasized that entities that merely rebranded their POGO operations under different business ventures should not be spared from the ban.
The push to eliminate offshore gaming intensified following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to ban POGOs in his 2024 State of the Nation Address. The House Quad Committee has since held 15 hearings exposing a slew of crimes linked to POGO hubs—including human trafficking and torture during raids in Pampanga and Tarlac.
The Senate passed its counterpart bill, Senate Bill No. 2868 or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, with unanimous support on Monday.
Despite the crackdown, authorities face growing challenges. According to Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, an estimated 9,000 former POGO workers remain in the country, many now operating covertly under legitimate-looking businesses. The National Bureau of Investigation is also probing possible links between POGO networks and espionage.
