GAMING chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) is preparing to take legal action against 33 offshore gaming licensees, including some who have left the country, for unpaid dues amounting to P2.02 billion.
Tengco said the operators, who were given licenses during the Duterte administration, have not paid their license fees for over a year now in violation of Section 4.C of the Offshore Gaming Regulatory Manual.
“Because of this situation, we are duty-bound to take a legal course of action. We are now in the process of gathering pertinent information to file appropriate cases against them,” he said.
Of the 33 erring offshore gaming operators, two have been billed as of May 2023 while two others were endorsed to Pagcor’s Legal Group in February.
Tengco warned five of the operators, which have already closed shop, that their refusal to abide by Philippine laws and to pay the government what is due shall be dealt with legally.
“Pagcor will continue to ensure that all our regulated gaming entities — including offshore gaming operators and service providers — will abide by our regulatory policies, including proper payment of fees and taxes,” he said.
Tengco told lawmakers earlier this week that Pagcor lost P2.2 billion in uncollected dues from a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) which shut down and left the country when travel and mobility restrictions were in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
