Inside Asian Gaming

IAG OCT 2022年10月 亞博匯 16 PAGCOR TO CRACK DOWN ON POGO INDUSTRY AFTER KIDNAPPINGS PAGCOR計劃整肅POGO行業，警告 稱若綁架案再增加或勒令行業關閉 PHILIPPINESGAMINGREGULATOR PAGCOR says it will work with key government agencies to intensify its efforts against “illegal POGO-related crimes” following reports of an increase in kidnappings linked to online gaming operators. Having met with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the inter-agency collaboration is a response to the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, who has expressed concern over the rise in crime numbers. “The President said [this is] because the image of the country and of this administration is being tarnished by these illegal incidents,” Tengco explained. His comments follow reports that the PNP had rescued 43 Chinese nationals, said to be enslaved under human trafficking conditions, froma licensed POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) called Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc in Angeles City. Authorities later arrested the company’s 33-year-old human resources manager, Chen Yi Bien, a resident of the Clark Freeport Zone. Lucky South 99 is one of only two licensed POGOs in Angeles City. Another two workers were rescued from a POGO in Mabalacat in August. “If these kidnapping incidents and other illegal activities persist, it is clear that not only will we cancel the licenses of POGO operators, but the entire industrymay be affected bywhatever decision will emanate from the national government. So let us help each other solve these issues the soonest,” Tengco said. 菲律賓博彩監管機構 PAGCOR表示，將與主要政府機構合作，加大打擊 「與線上博彩營運商（POGO）相關聯的非法犯罪」的力度。此前有報道 稱，與POGO有關的綁架事件有所增加。 PAGCOR主席兼行政總裁Alejandro Tengco在與內政和地方政府部、 司法部、菲律賓國家警察和國家調查局會面後表示，合作是因應馬科斯總 統的指示，後者對犯罪人數的上升表示擔憂。 Tengco表示：「總統稱，這些非法事件正在損害國家和本屆政府的 形象。」 此前有報道稱，菲律賓警察從Angeles市一家名為Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc的持牌POGO運營商手中解救了43名據稱被人口販運及奴 役的中國公民。 Lucky South 99是Angeles市僅有的兩家獲得許可的POGO之一，當 局隨後逮捕了該公司33歲的人力資源經理、克拉克自由港區居民Chen Yi Bien。 6月另有兩名僱員從Mabalacat市的一家離岸博彩公司被解救出來。 Tengco稱：「如果這些綁架事件和其他非法活動持續存在，很明 顯，我們不僅會取消POGO的牌照，而且整個行業都可能受到國家政府的 決定的影響。所以讓我們互相幫忙，盡快解決這些問題。」