A meeting between the Philippines’ licensed offshore gaming operators, gaming regulator PAGCOR and various government departments has seen the licensees told that the work permits of foreign and local employees will only be valid until the end of the year.
Sources linked with the Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) industry – formerly known as POGOs – told Inside Asian Gaming that it was confirmed during Tuesday’s meeting at PAGCOR’s Pasay office that 31 December would be the final day such employment permits would be valid, effectively rendering IGLs illegal as of 1 January 2025.
This is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s order, announced in July, to ban the establishment of any new IGLs with immediate effect and to wind down existing operators by year’s end.
Local media outlet Philippine Star wrote overnight that the work permits have traditionally had a three-year validity but that PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco had approved an adjustment to their term on 15 August.
Tuesday’s meeting was hosted by PAGCOR’s Offshore Gaming Licensing Department and attended by representatives from the Department of Justice, Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Immigration.
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