MANILA — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has raised concerns about social media influencers allegedly promoting illegal online gambling sites that may target young audiences.
The House Committee on Public Order and Safety, alongside the House Committee on Games and Amusements, is conducting a joint investigation into crimes associated with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).
In its presentation, Pagcor highlighted the challenge posed by the “rapid growth of illegal casinos through social media.”
“Maraming influencers ang gumagamit ng platforms nila such as Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube to encourage prospective players to try their luck in illegal platforms, so pino-promote po nila ang websites or isang laro like ‘wheels of whatever’ kahit walang lisensya sa Pagcor,” said Jessa Fernandez, Pagcor assistant vice president and head of its overseas gaming licensing division.
Fernandez emphasized that these unregulated gaming platforms provide no protection for players and could potentially entice the youth into gambling.
“Itong mga illegal game offerings na mukhang legal but they have no protection for the players who will pay in the platform, walang contribution sa government, walang customer verification, so marami pong mga kabataan na maaaring makapaglaro sa illegal platforms,” she noted.
Fernandez did not disclose the number of influencers involved in these promotions.
In response, House Public Order panel chair Rep. Dan Hernandez requested that Pagcor provide the names of the identified influencers.
“Submit to us para we can coordinate with the BIR and also DICT para we can take action against these people,” he stated.
On Tuesday, Pagcor reported that approximately 1,954 illegal online gambling platforms remain active after blocking 5,793 in the past two years. The agency noted that its efforts to combat illegal gaming operators rely heavily on law enforcement agencies, as it lacks police powers.