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Gaming Capital? POGOs & Transformation of Manila & PH


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Gaming Capital? POGO's & the Transformation of Manila & PH

Gambling, & Mainland Tourism is transforming Greater Manila & the Philippines

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The numbers and the impact is staggering

TOTAL POGO Footprint

District  :    Space taken : Footprint share
Bay Area :     657K sqm : 37.70 %
Makati City:  292K         : 16.75 %

Cavite :           146K         :   8.38 %
Pampanga :   140K         :   8.03 %
Alabang :        137K.        :   7.86 %
Ortigas. :        120K         :   6.89 %
Quezon City:  103K         :   5.91 %
Laguna             65K         :   3.73 %
Cebu                 48K         :   2.75 % Other areas:    000K ?     :
= TOTAL :       1,743K     :    100 %
2019 Demand

The 5 Best Metro Manila Casinos - TripAdvisor

    Top Metro Manila Casinos: See reviews and photos of casinos & gambling attractions in Metro Manila, Philippines on TripAdvisor.

    ===

    The Property market has been a major beneficiary - as workers hired for online casinos serving China, have turned a possible Bust to a Boom

    100,000 Chinese Move to Manila And Trigger Property Surge

    On Fri, May 4, 2018

    By Bloomberg News

    In Manila’s main financial district and its fringes, signs of the new inhabitants are everywhere: the restaurants serving steaming Chinese hotpots and dumplings, the Mandarin broadcasts at the Mall of Asia, and the soaring property prices.

    An estimated 100,000 migrants, mostly Chinese, have flooded into pockets of the Philippines capital since September 2016, and the deluge is rippling through the city’s real estate market in ways that are unique among the world’s urban centers. While Chinese investors have been snapping up big swathes of high-end housing in Hong Kong, London and New York for years to move their money offshore, this new rush is motivated by something different: Manila’s booming gaming industry.

    More than 50 offshore gambling companies that cater to overseas Chinese punters have received permits to operate in the city since President Rodrigo Duterte’s government began awarding licenses 19 months ago. While bets are placed remotely, the operators need Chinese speakers in Manila to handle everything from marketing and customer queries to payment processing for overseas clients.

    The resulting migration, while only a fraction of the metropolitan area’s 12.9 million population, is propelling home prices to record levels in neighborhoods favored by Chinese workers. It’s reinvigorating Manila’s commercial property market as owners convert offices and shops into gaming centers with card tables and webcams. And it’s boosting the bottom lines of local developers including Ayala Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings Inc.

    While no official numbers are publicly available showing the number of Chinese arrivals in Manila, people familiar with the matter said that offshore gaming operators in the Philippines employ about 200,000 workers, predominantly Chinese, and more than half of them have arrived in the capital region since late 2016. The Bureau of Immigration said it couldn’t immediately provide the data.

    The influx promises to boost the nation’s economy and is helping to strengthen ties with China – a priority for Duterte. Yet it leaves the property market vulnerable in the event of an abrupt shift in online gaming or immigration policies from either country.

    The perils of relying too heavily on Chinese buyers became painfully obvious last year in the Malaysian enclave of Johor Bahru, which has been grappling with a glut of vacant homes after China imposed controls on investments in overseas property and demand abruptly dried up.

    > https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/files/pdf2018/3041-2018-05-07.pdf

    AREAS the benefited from Chinese buying and mainland Chinese tenants include:

     > Manila Bay- : Casino Haven, wanting to become Tourist & Financial Center

    > Binondo ----- : Historical "Chinatown" :

    > San Antonio : "Little China" TechZone area :

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    the big transformation started about five years ago

    Opening of Solaire casino launches Manila's new gambling hub

    Gambling complex is launched today with the opening of port tycoon's US$1.2b Solaire resort

    nb20130318f1a-870x489.jpg

    The Philippines today opens the first casino in a hub designed to emulate the success of Macau.

    Port tycoon Enrique Razon's US$1.2 billion Solaire Manila casino will have a monopoly within Manila's new entertainment and gambling complex until the country's richest man, Henry Sy, opens a venture there next year.

    The billionaires are investing in casinos as the Philippines seeks to copy Macau, where gamblers from mainland China fuelled a 14 per cent revenue surge to a record US$38 billion last year. New resorts could help the Philippines' gaming market expand five-fold to US$10 billion by 2017, its chief regulator estimates.

    The gaming area in Solaire is decorated with mother-of-pearl-covered columns and a floor embedded with coloured glass.

    It is designed to get 45 per cent of its revenue from VIPs, or high-stakes punters, according to Razon's partner Bradley Stone, president at Global Gaming Asset Management.

    Razon holds one of four casino licences the Philippines awarded in 2008 and 2009 for the entertainment hub that is close to Manila Bay.

    Sy and Melco Crown Entertainment are scheduled to jointly open a casino resort there in July next year.

    A venture of Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada and a fourth casino in the Manila complex by Philippine billionaire Andrew Tan and Genting Hong Kong are expected to open between 2015 and 2016.

    Razon has so far spent US$750 million to build Solaire's first phase that opens today and he's spending another US$400 million for an expansion that will be completed by the third quarter of next year, Stone said. Manila, only three to four hours away from China, Japan and South Korea, will be an attractive alternative for high rollers in these markets, he added.

    The Philippines is counting on the new casino ventures to boost tourist traffic that lags behind that of Indonesia and Thailand. It's also betting that these investments, set by the government at US$1 billion for each licence holder, will help cut the jobless rate, which is among the highest in Asia.

    Solaire's first phase includes an 18,500 square metre gaming area with 300 tables and 1,200 slot machines, seven restaurants and a five-star hotel. The expansion, already under construction, includes more VIP gaming space, a 1,800-seat theatre for Broadway shows and 60,000 square metres of retail space.

    > http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1191809/opening-solaire-casino-launches-manilas-new-gambling-hub

    / 2 /

    No Chinese high rollers? No problem! | Inquirer Business

      Apr 8, 2015 - Many independent analysts agree: The Philippines is the next big ... edge of Manila Bay, given the ongoing crackdown versus Chinese high-rolling gamblers. ... casino venues used to generate their revenues from high-roller ...

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      China's High Rollers Are Phoning In Big Bets to Manila Casinos ...

      May 3, 2017 -

      • More Chinese now gambling via calls to Philippine casinos
      • 55 arrested in gaming syndicate shows China taking action

      In a VIP room reserved for high-spending gamblers at casino in the Philippine capital, many of the players are nowhere to be seen. They’re not even in the country. 

      / 2 /

      How China’s high rollers are using phone bets to get around nation’s gambling laws

      • Chinese players wagered $27 billion in Philippine casinos in 2016
      • VIP casino rooms take phone bets from China

      Chinese high-rollers are exploiting the laws in the Philippines and modern technology to get around their nation’s gambling prohibition.

      Chinese phone betting Filipino casinos
      Chinese high rollers are circumventing their own nation’s gambling laws by making phone bets at Filipino casinos, it has been reported. Pictures: Thinkstock.

      Placing bets by telephone is illegal in most other gaming centres including Singapore, Macau and Australia but it is legal in the Philippines and many Chinese are taking advantage. The VIP rooms of many Philippine casinos feature ceiling cameras which broadcast the gaming action to China, while casino staff wearing headsets talk to Chinese clients and place bets for them, according to Bloomberg.

      The increasing enthusiasm for phone betting in the Philippines among Chinese high rollers has resulted in dramatic increases in revenue locally and now accounts for up to 85% of gambling business in some casinos. Across the industry, Philippine casinos have reported upturns in VIP revenue equating to 110%, and, at a conservative estimate, it is believed that as much as $27 billion was wagered by Chinese gamblers in 2016.

      Money laundering

      This dramatic surge in VIP betting by proxy has led to concern about the risk of money laundering. A US government report raised the issue in March this year and the Chinese government has also been attempting to crack down on the trade, as it tries to stem the flow of money out of the country.

      > https://www.casinopedia.org/news/china-high-roller-phone-bets-gambling-law

       

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      Social Media is Talking about the spreading impact !

      (from a Viber chat): Casino impacts spreads from Manila hotspots to Alabang

      AF:

      I saw a post about the Condo at Southmall.... 70 units for sale? The top floor of this condo now has an online gaming casino and the place is full of mainland Chinese players renting units there. Accross the street are 2 other casinos, 1 run by PAGCOR and the other by a Chinese trader. With this development, the administrator told me that the rental business is quite brisk.

      BN:

      no wonder the rental rates in Amaia Alabang have gone up

      AF:

      there is 1 big online gaming casino in Festival Mall.

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      Real danger of overinvestment as casino companies flock to Philippines

      Philippines’ blossoming casinos are performing almost too well, reports Reuters, with high levels of interest creating what some are calling an oversupply.

      Published:

      The Asian nation will open state-run land-based casino interests to commercial bidders next year, raising interest from operators already active in the Macau and Singapore markets.

      Nationalization of thriving casino industry

      The Philippines is already home to some privately-owned casino resorts, including the Solaire in Manila Bay, but more than 40 of the country’s gambling facilities are currently owned by the state.

      The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp currently acts in a regulatory capacity as well as operating the state’s casinos, but as of early next year its gaming licenses will be open to commercial bidders. PAGCOR will continue in its role as chief regulator for the gambling industry after the nationalization process is complete.

      Bloomberry Resorts, which owns the Solare, is interested in the license. Chairman Enrique Razon Jr told Reuters confirmed that the company has expressed interest (pending details of sale conditions) and hoped that a presence in Manila would give the brand an edge over foreign investors. However, Razon expects Macau operators to bid for licenses in Manila.

      Growing gambling market attracts investor attention

      The gambling scene in Asia is making significant gains, especially in Macau where records profits were posted in the first half of this year. Plans to legalize gaming in Japan and blossoming revenues in Singapore have boosted the appeal of this Asian market to foreign operators. The Philippines is also seeing gambling gains, with year to date revenues from Morgan Stanley showing a 27% increase for the country’s casinos.

      Concerns of ‘cannibalization’ within gambling market

      Gaming revenues in Asia are growing, and operators all want a slice of the profit for themselves. The fast turnover of a profit makes casino investment one of the hot tickets in 2017, and this planned nationalization of Philippine state casinos creates an ideal opportunity.

      The government wants its Entertainment City project to rival Macau and Las Vegas, attracting visitors from all over the world, and it is keen to pull in big names who can invest well.

      > https://www.casinopedia.org/news/real-danger-of-overinvestment-as-casino-companies-flock-to-philippines
       

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      • 9 months later...

      Gambling Boom has pushed Manila Bay property to skyhigh  levels

      Look at these prices from SMDC

      9N7pmtV.jpg

      Bayshore Properties for Resale from 63 Realty Inc./ 63 Fang
      Example: P17.0 Million / 56 sqm = P 303k per sqm

      Duterte Opens Up The Philippines To Chinese Workers, As Filipinos Seek Jobs Overseas

      Chinese workers are “flooding” the Philippines.

      That’s according to a story published recently in South China Morning Post.  Worse, Duterte’s administration is losing count of how many Chinese workers are in the country legally or illegally, according to the same source.

      . . .

      A total of 3.12 million Chinese citizens entered the Philippines from January 2016 to May 2018, according to the Bureau of Immigration. Within these figures is a number of Chinese workers, which is still unknown. What isn’t unknown is the number of Filipinos seeking jobs overseas, which reached 2.2 million as of 2016.

      That begs the question: Why is the Philippines opening up its labor market to foreign workers when it cannot provide jobs for its own people?

      It is known that the Philippines unemployment rate stands at 5.1% in 2018, well above China’s 3.82%. Meanwhile, China’s GDP growth stands at 6.5%, well ahead of the Philippines 6.1%. That begs another question: Why are Chinese workers heading to the Philippines when there are better opportunities at home?

      . . .

      Chinese contractors have been heading to the Philippines to get a piece of the country’s infrastructure spending boom. “A combination of Philippines President Duterte’s USD180bn ‘Build, Build, Build’ program and the Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative has created one of the largest infrastructure construction booms in Asia,” Eijas Ariffin in a piece in THE ASEAN POST.

      And as is the case in Africa and other Asian countries Chinese contractors are bringing along their own engineers and their own workers.

      Apparently, the pay is better than home.

      Meanwhile, Chinese citizens are snapping up local properties in rich districts. “In Manila’s main financial district and its fringes, signs of the new inhabitants are everywhere: the restaurants serving steaming Chinese hotpots and dumplings, Mandarin broadcasts at the Mall of Asia, and the soaring property prices,” reports Bloomberg.

      Then there are gamblers heading to the Philippines, as the Chinese government cranks down on conspicuous gambling in Macau by its citizens. And as Chinese gamblers come to the Philippines, so do related businesses, like restaurants and entertainment staffed by Chinese workers.

      “An estimated 100,000 migrants, mostly Chinese, have flooded into pockets of the Philippines capital since September 2016, and the deluge is rippling through the city’s real estate market in ways that are unique among the world’s urban centers,” continues the report.“While Chinese investors have been snapping up big swathes of high-end housing in Hong Kong, London and New York for years to move their money offshore, this new rush is motivated by something different: Manila’s booming gaming industry.”

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      • 3 weeks later...

      Fast Facts on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators

      • Also known as POGOs
      • Such operations were limited to three provinces north of Manila before Sept. 2016 decision to expand them to the capital region
      • 55 permits for POGOs have been awarded since then
      • 14 of those are engaged in sports betting
      • Revenue from POGOs quintupled to 3.57 billion Philippine pesos ($70 million) in 2017 from a year earlier

      Source: Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp.

      620x-1.png

      Developers aren’t betting that boom times will last forever. Ayala Land’s President Bobby Dy said the builder will limit offshore gaming leases to 10 percent of its office portfolio. DoubleDragon plans to cap total exposure to such tenants to 30 percent once all its office towers are completed. The firm requires a one-year deposit from offshore gaming operators and post-dated checks for the duration of the five-year contract.

      Kitt Lapeña, 34, a Makati resident for most of his life, has seen waves of foreign residents come and go before, from Japan and Korea, but never on the scale of the recent Chinese influx. While he welcomes the economic boost, he worries about the motivations of the new arrivals.

      “In a way, it’s good for business,” Lapeña said. “I hope they become an asset to the community and not just out to make money.”

      > https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-03/in-china-s-new-gambling-hot-spot-property-prices-are-on-a-tear?fbclid=IwAR1BhXL8HViVp9DvTnix135LKk9B_YNnQ99H57VKPM2PCgtVT_i6Hg_79dY

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      • 1 month later...

      How China’s online gambling addiction is reshaping Manila

      There's more dim sum and jobs in the metro, but the Chinese have driven up rent and brought in the sins tied to gambling

      AT A GLANCE:

      • Philippine Online Gambling Operations (POGOs) are creating a ripple of economic development, particularly in the property and food sectors
      • Locals are complaining about the high rental rates and rowdiness of some Chinese workers
      • POGO girls required to wear skimpy clothes and the possibility of money laundering worry some industry insiders

      MANILA, Philippines – A Filipina-looking dealer looks intently at the webcam, enticing bettors to place their bets. She does not speak, but smiles with her eyes as another voice in Mandarin speaks for her.

      She sports a revealing, black dress. There are even bunny ears to complete the whole Playboy look.

      Players watch her from the laptop, while flirting with Lady Luck for high returns. In just a single click, cash comes in and out of their virtual wallets.

      Welcome to the world of online gambling – the Chinese are hooked and Philippine shores have opened their arms to fuel their addiction.

      Manila is in a frenzy because of the flowing cash, and the impact on the community is hot for chit-chats.

      Game plan

      Gambling is illegal in China and is heavily opposed by the communist government. Authorities have intensified crackdowns to serve as a stern warning.

      To skirt this obstacle, gambling companies operate outside the mainland.

      “China has so much cash and many want to gamble. But gamblers need to travel abroad or to Macau,” said an expert on the matter who requested anonymity.

      With the emergence of online gambling, the Chinese simply log into a website and they can play the usual casino games like poker, roulette, and slot machines.

      Gaming companies that set up shop here are referred to as Philippine Online Gambling Operations (POGOs).

      LADY LUCK. Online gamblers can choose who their dealers will be. Screengrab from Oriental Game.

      LADY LUCK. Online gamblers can choose who their dealers will be. Screengrab from Oriental Game.

      According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), they have authorized 57 POGOs to operate in the Philippines. (FAST FACTS: What you need to know about the Philippine casino industry)

      > https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/212443-how-china-online-gambling-addiction-reshaping-manila

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      • 4 weeks later...

      Landlords big winners as Philippines bets on Chinese gaming boom

      Over 100,000 Work permits for Chinese (& others come w/o permits)

      There are only about 120,000 condo units in Greater Manila.  Do the math !

      ... Many Filipino landlords are laying out welcome mats for the surging number of Chinese coming to Manila to work in online gaming companies taking sports and casino bets, undeterred by simmering anti-China sentiment and a common perception that Chinese are taking Filipino jobs.

      “I was afraid at first because I heard so many bad things abut Chinese tenants but I was convinced later on when my friends told me they were doing the same”, said Tessie.

      “It’s benefiting people like me who need to earn”, said the 63-year-old housewife.

      Her home is close to a two-tower office building where five of the nine floors are used by Chinese gaming firms. A Chinese restaurant and Chinese tea shop downstairs do brisk trade.

      ... The influx started in 2016, coinciding with the rise of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who since coming into power has pursued warmer ties with China, and the gaming regulator’s move to license these internet gambling operators.

      The number of Chinese work permit holders nearly quadrupled in two years to 109,222 in 2018, government data showed, making China the biggest source of expatriate workers in the Philippines.

      In comparison, there were 4,477 work permit holders from Japan and 622 from the United States last year.

      The arrival of Philippine offshore gaming operators, better known as POGOs, has become a major boon for the property market just as it was getting crimped by a slowdown in the country’s $24 billion outsourcing sector.

      CHINAPH.jpg

      OFFICE, HOME RENTS SURGE

      Philippine gaming regulators have so far licensed 56 POGOs from 35 in 2016. They have also accredited 204 gaming support providers that market their products and render customer service to players abroad, among other services.

      Reuters requested comment from at least two POGOs whose contact details were available online but they did not respond. Reuters also visited at least one gaming tenant in a building in the main Makati business district but was denied entry.

      POGOs will likely take up 1 million square meters of office space in Manila by year-end, Andaya said, nearly 12 times more than in the last quarter of 2016. ( 1,000,000 sm / 5= 200,000 jobs, could be MORE, if double or triple shifting is happening at the desk space )

      Office rents in the Manila Bay area, which has the highest concentration of POGOs, have risen as much as 150% over the past two years, with some renting up for 1,500 pesos per square meter, Andaya said, comparable to rents in Makati.

      ( How long will it last? )

      > https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-china-labour/landlords-big-winners-as-philippines-bets-on-chinese-gaming-boom-idUSKCN1TX0NJ

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      > MORE: "may not last longer than Duterte’s six-year term in office"

      Lawmakers are growingly worried that the rising number of Chinese workers could lead to local strife and increase the competition for jobs when 2.29 million Filipinos are unemployed.

      The issue is being compounded by the arrest of hundreds of undocumented Chinese workers in illegal online gambling outfits and construction sites and the discovery by authorities that some of these entities have not been paying correct taxes.

      But Duterte has called for tolerance.

      “The Chinese, let them work here. Let them be. Why? We have 300,000 Filipinos in China. That’s why I can’t just say, leave, or have them deported. What if they make all the 300,000 (Filipinos) leave”, Duterte said in a speech in February.

      Filipino businessman JP Gaspar, who is renting out his family’s four-bedroom home to Chinese nationals for 100,000 pesos a month, said he is aware the country’s embrace of China may not last longer than Duterte’s six-year term in office.

      “In the meantime, I’ll grab the opportunity”, Gaspar said. 

      For a list of approved Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, click  bit.ly/327dbEv

      > https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-china-labour/landlords-big-winners-as-philippines-bets-on-chinese-gaming-boom-idUSKCN1TX0NJ

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      gen1-chinese-nationals-working-philippin

      MANILA, Philippines — Chinese nationals working in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) will be transferred to “self-contained” communities or hubs that will limit their interaction with Filipinos, according to an official of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

      In an interview with “The Chiefs” aired on Cignal TV’s One News Tuesday night, Pagcor vice president for offshore gaming Jose Tria said these POGO hubs would address complaints of Filipinos over the reported unruly behavior of some Chinese workers.

      “That is the reason why we came up with these POGO hubs. These will be self-contained communities (so we can limit the) interaction between Filipinos and foreign workers,” Tria said.

      As soon as… the private participation is able to set up these hubs, we will be canceling all their authority to operate outside these hubs. We will put them there so it is easier to monitor,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino.

      The POGO hubs would have safeguards, including the establishment of government offices inside these communities for monitoring, according to Tria.

      . . . "Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo had earlier announced that it approved the establishment of two POGO hubs in Clark, Pampanga and Kawit, Cavite, to be operated by offshore gaming firm Oriental Game."

      In the first semester of 2019, Bello said DOLE has issued a total of 51,695 alien employment permits (AEPs). The figure was more than double or 143 percent higher than the number of AEPs issued during the same period last year.

      He added that many of the AEPs were issued to foreign nationals employed in POGOs. More than half or 55 percent of the foreign nationals granted AEPs are Chinese nationals.

      The Chinese nationals, according to Bello, are employed in jobs requiring proficiency in Mandarin. He noted that there are Filipinos who can speak Fookien, but only a few are fluent in Mandarin.

      “Our primary condition in issuing AEPs is that it will not cause disenfranchisement of Filipino workers,” Bello said.

      DOLE’s move

      With Pagcor’s plans to limit operations of POGOs to hubs outside Metro Manila, the DOLE is deploying more labor inspectors to the provinces.

      Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III yesterday reported that the DOLE is hiring more labor inspectors in the coming years and deploying them to areas where most POGOs are operating.

      “We deploy labor inspectors nationwide, but mostly in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Cagayan Valley,” Bello said during the weekly forum “Kapihan sa Manila Bay.”

      Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/08/08/1941586/pogos-be-moved-out-confined-hubs#xyXR3tc1qH3TK0hu.99
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      Philippines collects P356 million from POGOs, as China condemns gambling

      The Chinese government wants gambling operators punished, but the Philippines wants to get more taxes from them

      MANILA, Philippines – The Chinese government issued a strongly-worded statement that enumerated the many problems it has encountered with online gambling, but this is an industry that has proved to be a good source of revenue for the Philippines.

      From money laundering and extortion to kidnapping and slavery, China made it clear that it is clamping down on the industry.

      "The Chinese side hopes and urges relevant departments of the Philippine government to pay more attention to China position and concerns and take concrete and effective measures to prevent and punish the Philippine casinos, POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), and other forms of gambling entities for their illegal employment of Chinese citizens," the Chinese embassy said.

      This was in response to the proposal of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) for a dedicated hub for POGOs.

      However, the Philippine government – a friend of China's – made it clear that gambling is perfectly legal here. In fact, it wants to tax the industry more efficiently.

      On the same day China voiced its concern, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported that it has collected an initial P186 million in withholding taxes from POGOs and is getting another P170 million this month in tax payments from these businesses employing foreigners, for a total of P356 million.

      Finance Assistant Secretary Dakila Napao said BIR data showed that of the 48 notices sent to POGOs, 22 have either replied or protested the tax assessments.

      Meanwhile, BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay said that for the initial year of operations of POGO service providers in 2017, the BIR collected only P175 million in taxes.

      POGO service providers remitted over P579 million in taxes in 2018 and voluntarily paid P789 million in the 1st half of 2019. The government said POGOs need to pay over P4 billion in unpaid taxes.

      . . .

      POGOs are regulated by Pagcor, whose gaming revenues soared to P68 billion in 2018.

       
       
       
       

      The real estate industry has also enjoyed Chinese money, as POGOs push prices up. (READ: Online gambling: Good for whose business?)

      It's clear that the Philippines has gained much from online gambling – and even more cash is coming.

       

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      ONLINE GAMBLING

      Good for whose business?

      China absolutely hates gambling, but the Philippines is fueling its citizens' addiction

      • The Chinese government is fighting online gambling, but companies are moving its operations offshore to avoid sanctions.
      • Real estate and other Philippine businesses are booming due to online gambling operations.
      • The Philippines’ regulatory environment is weak, but government agencies are slowly trying to cover the gaping holes.

      MANILA, Philippines – With a business degree from one of the Philippines’ top universities, Jake, not his real name, expected to apply what he learned in college.

      He was hired as a financial analyst by an information technology (IT) firm in Quezon City, but his job was nothing like what he was promised by the hiring manager.

      He was tasked to insert a USB drive or memory stick into a computer and input a code.

       
       
       

      “I had no idea at first what I was doing, but it turns out, I was paying out money for online gambling winners,” Jake said.

      He told Rappler he had no idea about the money flow or whether the funds came from – or were going through – Philippine financial institutions.

      Other than inputing codes, he was also tasked to look for Chinese players to play games online. Either he contacted them directly or looked for players through affiliates who had connections with players in China.

      Players came mostly from China, but there were also Chinese clients from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States.

      Jake said the company he was working for had around 200 employees with a fair mix of Filipino and Chinese employees.

      "You do not need to speak Mandarin. Your output can be in English and somebody, either Chinese or Filipino fluent in Mandarin, will translate for you," Jake said.

      Screenshot from an online gambling website

      Screenshot from an online gambling website

      “Our job is marketing or finance and some IT. It was not explicit that it was online gambling, but it was,” he said.

      The company did not provide any hint of gambling. The offices had no roulettes, no cards, no dealers. All the games were streamed abroad.

      The website Jake was working for indicated that its casino dealers were from countries like Russia and Turkey.

      "We have a code, when we say something like ‘aja’ out loud, it means that there are government agents or police about to go in the office and we need to hide everything."

       

      – Jake, a Filipino who worked in an online gambling firm

       

      He said the industry was giving Filipinos opportunities and paid well. On top of their salary, workers enjoyed bonuses of at least P500,000 (US$9,631)* a year.

      "Bonuses are tax-free and I think all workers had P500,000 at minimum. I accidentally saw the salary of some of the Chinese managers and they earned over a million without the bonus," Jake said.

      He said the Chinese workers earned around P60,000 ($1,156) to P70,000 ($1,348) a month. Filipinos earned slightly lower, but definitely much higher than a typical job at call center companies just some floors below their offices.

      . . .

      "I think the pay is high, the Chinese workers earn much higher than the average call center agents," Jake said.

      While cash was good, he admitted that he knew the company he was working for was shady.
      The Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are regulated by the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), but Jake said his company was not on the list of accredited gaming companies.
      “We have a code, when we say something like ‘aja’ out loud, it means that there are government agents or police about to go in the office and we need to hide everything,” Jake said.

      "I'm sure the bosses have connections with government officials, otherwise the company will not operate and will have higher taxes, which they do not want if they wanted higher bonuses," he added.
      He also said the company’s websites have several backups, in case China’s firewall blocks them. When it does, the backup websites take over.
      Jake left the company after a couple of months because he felt uncomfortable about its questionable and suspicious operations.

      =====

      MAYBE... you need to THINK TWICE if your real estate investment is relying on such shady clients 

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      POGO hubs would protect Chinese workers' rights – Pagcor

      POGO HUBS. Pagcor Chairperson Andrea Domingo says the proposed POGO hubs will protect Chinese workers. Photo by Rambo Talabong/Rappler

      POGO HUBS. Pagcor Chairperson Andrea Domingo says the proposed POGO hubs will protect Chinese workers. Photo by Rambo Talabong/Rappler

       

      MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairperson Andrea Domingo said self-contained hubs for Chinese online gambling workers would serve only to provide their basic needs and not segregate them from the population.

      "When we refer to POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) hubs as self-contained communities, what we mean is that these hubs will have all the basic needs of the foreign employees of POGO," Domingo said in a text message to reporters on Thursday, August 8.

       
       
       
       

      She said these hubs would have office and residential spaces, food establishments, wellness and recreational facilities, and service shops.

      "They are free to go anywhere they want to without any limitation on their personal rights or liberties," Domingo added. (READ: A Chinese online gambling worker's plight in Manila)

      Domingo also maintained that the hubs would be established for the protection of foreign workers.

      With the Chinese POGO workers living in dedicated hubs, Domingo said they would no longer be exposed to "crimes being committed against them on the streets," and would be assured of better work conditions.

      They will also be given proper visas, as government agencies will set up offices at the hubs.

      Domingo's statement was in response to the Chinese embassy's strongly-worded statement over the proposal. (READ: How China's online gambling addiction is reshaping Manila)

      China said it is gravely concerned over the proposal, as it may infringe on the basic legal rights of its citizens. – Rappler.com

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      No POGO PANIC (yet)

      PROPERTY developers remain optimistic about demand for office space despite China’s crackdown on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), citing limited exposure to such tenants.

      Ayala Land, Inc. Commercial Business Group Head Jose Emmanuel H. Jalandoni said POGOs make up less than a tenth of their leasable office portfolio, limiting the company’s vulnerability to this segment.

      “For the office sector, we’re limiting it to a maximum of 10% for our office portfolio. Right now it’s a little below 10%…Since we’re limiting our exposure to 10% it’s more manageable,” Mr. Jalandoni told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of an event last week of its parent Ayala Corp.

      In a separate interview, DoubleDragon Properties Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edgar J. Sia II said his company is also relatively protected from developments hounding POGOs.

      “DoubleDragon’s leasable space portfolio is diversified enough that it is well-covered overall. The POGO exposure is only about 12% of 2019 total leasable space,” Mr. Sia said in an e-mail, adding that his company requires tenants to pay 12 months rental security deposits up front, on top of post-dated checks covering the entire lease term.

      Mr. Sia, however, admitted that there could be downsides in terms of yields the company will get for its properties.

      “The only downside if the POGO tenants are replaced by BPO and corporate tenants is that, in that case the company expects to no longer get the very high 29% yield on cost but may revert to the normal yield of 14%, which is anyway still more than double the company’s cost of fund which now stands at 6.2%.”

      Concerns about the country’s office sector arose after the Chinese embassy last week asked the Philippines to stop hiring Chinese citizens in casinos and other gaming facilities, citing how a large number of them have been illegally brought into the country since Beijing has been cracking down on cross-border gambling. It also blamed offshore gaming operations in the country for increased crimes and other social problems in China.

      Analysts said this move could hurt the property sector as POGOs have been driving demand for office space in recent years.

      . . .Despite the high demand from POGOs, Ayala Land’s Mr. Jalandoni said the company still expects business process outsourcing firms and traditional offices to boost its businesss.

      “I think reports show that demand for this year and last year was mostly POGOs, but BPO demand is still there and we’re also seeing demand from traditional office so it’s a balanced demand,” Mr. Jalandoni said.

      > MORE: https://www.bworldonline.com/property-firms-bullish-on-demand-despite-pogo-uncertainty/

       
      / 2 /

      ORTIGAS Center and Quezon City are seen to be the next hubs for Philippine Online Gaming Operators (POGOs) as vacancy in the bay area dips below 1% in the second quarter of 2019.

      Joey Roi H. Bondoc, research manager of Colliers International Philippines, said vacancy in areas near Manila Bay is now at 0.61%, which is considered to be low even for an outsourcing company.

      “What more for a POGO that in one go would occupy two, three floors. I think it is but natural for them to move outside of the bay area and look at areas where office space is still available,” he said.

      In its property market report for the second quarter, Colliers noted that demand for offshore gaming companies had reached 274,000 square meters (sq.m.) in the first half. Deals in the second quarter were mostly closed in Alabang, bay area, Quezon City, Ortigas, and Makati central business district (CDB) and its fringes.

      The firm also noted that the new supply in the bay area, Ortigas Center, and Quezon City would be tempered by demand from online gaming operators along with traditional or non-outsourcing firms.

      “Currently, we have 274,000 [sq.m. of supply], so if we estimate another 250,000, easily 150,000 sq.m. could be split between Quezon City and Ortigas Center because that’s where the available space is, so easily pwedeng doon sila mag-locate (they can locate there),” Mr. Bondoc said.

      As for residential units, he said it would be difficult to determine how many units, but he noted that for one firm, an average of 40-50 units are involved in one transaction.

      “They are willing to locate the following day, and they pay in cash,” he said. “That’s how strong the demand is.”

      For the rest of the year, Mr. Bondoc said that the online gaming operators are likely to remain the major driver.

      “For 2019, definitely. In fact we might even breach 500,000 sq.m. for 2019 alone because in 2017 we had only 11,000 sq.m., in 2018 we had 303,000 sq.m. So initially we thought na (that) we might be able to breach 400[,000 sq.m.], but look at the first half transactions, [they’re] already 274,000 [sq.m.],” he noted.

      He also said that buildings, which were not approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority because of Administrative Order (AO) No. 18, might now welcome POGO firms.

      For instance, a building in Ortigas that was initially built for non-POGOs but failed to secure accreditation, will now cater to these firms.

      > more: https://www.bworldonline.com/online-gaming-base-expected-in-ortigas-and-qc/

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      Southeast Asia Pulls Back On Online Gambling as China Rages

      • Cambodia won’t issue or renew online gaming licenses: Xinhua
      • Philippines won’t issue new licenses until end of year

      Southeast Asian countries are moving against their lucrative online gambling industries amid pressure from China to clamp down on a practice that’s ballooned due to demand from its own citizens.

      Weeks after China lashed out at the Philippines for encouraging offshore gambling, which it said targets Chinese customers and causes the illegal outflow of hundreds of millions of yuan, the Philippine gaming regulator said on Monday that it would stop accepting applications for new online gaming operations at least until the end of the year to review concerns about the burgeoning sector.

      Philippines Won’t Halt Online Casinos But to Suspend New Permits

      The about-turn in gambling policy in these Southeast Asian nations comes as China steps up efforts against what its minister for public security, Zhao Kezhi, called “the cross-border online gambling problem.” Online and phone betting in Southeast Asian countries by Chinese punters many miles away has exploded in the last few years, and there are signs that the offshore services are penetrating more deeply into China’s population than expected.

      Some online gaming websites offer punters wagers as low as 10 yuan and have round-the-clock live streams. That makes them easily accessible by lower-income Chinese in rural areas, who do not have the means to go to Macau, the only place in China where casinos are legal, to scratch the gambling itch.

      China Hits Out at Philippines in Offshore Gaming Crackdown (1)

      The burgeoning industry has also transformed Southeast Asian countries and the abrupt pullback is likely to hurt their economies. In the Philippines alone, more than 50 offshore gambling companies had received permits to operate, over a hundred thousand Chinese workers had surged into Manila to staff the industry, and property prices near gaming sites were booming. Revenue from online gaming operations is projected to reach up to 10 billion pesos ($191 million) next year, according to the Philippines gaming regulator.

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      China urges PHL to ban all online gambling

      The Chinese government has urged the Philippines to ban all online gambling after the latter stopped accepting applications for offshore gaming licenses until all concerns have been addressed.

      “We have also taken note of the Philippine government’s announcement and appreciates it. We hope the Philippines will go further and ban all online gambling,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a press conference in Beijing.

      He also expressed hope that such move will further strengthen law enforcement with China and jointly tackle criminal activities including online gambling and cyber fraud.

      “This will help create an enabling environment for the development of bilateral relations and peace and stability in the region,” said Geng.

      Earlier this week, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation said it has started reviewing concerns about Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO).

      Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and military officials earlier raised the concern that POGO operations near military camps could be used for espionage.

      PAGCOR has also proposed to transfer Chinese online gambling workers to self-contained communities or hubs, prompting apprehension from the Chinese Embassy.

      The embassy said it “may infringe on the basic legal rights of the Chinese citizens concerned” as it “strongly urged the Philippine government to effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the Philippines.”

      It also lamented that a large number of Chinese citizens have been illegally recruited and hired for POGO and Philippine casinos.

      “Some Chinese citizens are even lured into and cheated to work illegally with only tourist visas.”

      Any form of gambling by Chinese citizens, including online gambling, gambling overseas, opening and operating casinos overseas to attract citizens of China as primary customers, is illegal, the embassy said. —KG, GMA News

      > https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/705272/china-urges-phl-to-ban-all-online-gambling/story/

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      • 6 months later...

      POGO / Gambling: WHERE is the Rental Risk greatest?

      If the POGO business shrinks suddenly, which are the Main Areas which might see a drop in Rents (& Prices)?

      Probably where the current Footprint is the greatest

      TOTAL POGO Footprint

      District  :    Space taken : Footprint share
      Bay Area :     657K sqm : 37.70 %
      Makati City:  292K         : 16.75 %

      Cavite :           146K         :   8.38 %
      Pampanga :   140K         :   8.03 %
      Alabang :        137K.        :   7.86 %
      Ortigas. :        120K         :   6.89 %
      Quezon City:  103K         :   5.91 %
      Laguna             65K         :   3.73 %
      Cebu                 48K         :   2.75 % Other areas:    000K ?     :
      = TOTAL :       1,743K     :    100 %
      2019 Demand
      > Per Business World, front page, Feb.26, 2020

      Demand has grown exponentially in the last four years,
      To become the top driver of office demand in Greater manila
      POGOs are now looking for NEW SOURCES of workers,
      As the PH has imposed travel bans on: China, HK, and Macau to curb the Covid threat

       

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      The winners and losers in POGO’s Demise: Numbers Don’t Lie

      By Andrew J. Masigan

      passport-030220.jpg

      The crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) has begun. Last week, China announced that it would cancel the passports of Chinese nationals working in the POGO industry for crimes relating to telecommunication fraud.

      While POGO operators can still hire Mandarin-speaking Malaysians and Indonesians, it is unlikely that they can replace the thousands of job vacancies. Hence, it is safe to assume that POGOs will go the way of the Cambodian I-Gaming industry in a matter of months.

      The biggest loser will be the real estate industry. As much as 1.14 million square meters of office space will be vacated in Metro Manila alone, representing 10% of total leasable space. POGOs consume more space than the IT-BPO industry. Lease rates are seen to decline as a result.

      The city of Pasay is the biggest host of POGO operators with 300,000 square meters of office space taken up. They will be hit the hardest. Makati is second, followed by Quezon City and Alabang. Clark, Subic and Cebu will also experience vacancies, albeit to a lesser extent. The cities of Taguig and Pasig do not allow POGO operators, hence, will be immune to the crash.

      The residential market will also be affected since about 30,000 condominium units are being leased by POGO workers. All these will be vacated.

      . . .

      The big boys in the property sector will feel the crunch. Ayala Land appropriates 10% of its office space portfolio to POGO operators, most of whom are located in Circuit Makati. Megaworld and Megawide have whole buildings dedicated to POGOs as they opt not to mix them with regular office lessees. ASEANA, Filinvest, and Alphaland maintain a high ratio of POGO tenants, many of them operating in their buildings in Pasay, Makati, and Alabang.

      The good thing is that these property firms are secured by 18 to 24 months advance rent and deposits (combined). This will serve as a cushion before the true impact of the POGO’s exodus is felt.

      As far as tax revenues are concerned, the government collected P6.42 billion last year, the bulk of which are attributed to withholding taxes. The BIR estimates that some P27.35 billion remain uncollected due to tax evasion.

      Unfortunately, the POGO industry is so loosely regulated that the government has no clear idea on how many POGO firms are actually operating. In a hearing held by the congressional committee on games and amusements last December, PAGCOR said there were 72 licensed POGO operators, 49 of which were operational. For its part, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said that there are only 10 operators who were paying franchise taxes. Others government agencies assert that there are as many as 218 POGO operators, the majority of whom operate without licenses.

      As for the number of POGO workers, the BIR pegged the figure at 44,798, the Department of Labor and Employment at 71,532 and PAGCOR’s figure was 93,697. Leechiu Property Consultants, a private firm, puts the number at 400,000 to 500,000. Most POGO workers do not pay income taxes and the Department of Finance estimates that uncollected income tax is between P27 to P50 billion.

       

      "...about 30,000 condominium units are being leased by POGO workers. All these will be vacated."

      (hmm.  Maybe not all will leave.  POGO's may survive in a smaller way, using local PH workers, speaking strained Mandarin.POGO's may need to employ Mandarin teachers, a job that may still get a visa.)
      Per Colliers, the total number of Condos in Greater manila is something like 110,000, I believe.  Imagine losing 25%-30% of the tenants in 1 year or so.
      The impact on Rents & Prices would be truly massive.  But if half of those go back, and Most of the rest of the jobs are filled by Filipino chinese, there might be (only?) a major slowdown in the market, and a serious dip in rents and prices
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      • 3 months later...

      BAD NEWS from the POGO sector - which occupies 13% of Office Demand

      POGO exodus looms as gaming firms keen to exit Philippines, says PAGCOR

      (Some) are leaving PHL: PAGCOR chair and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo confirmed that Suncity, a unit of Macau's gambling giant Suncity Group, has left the country.
      "Yes, Suncity has left," she said, when asked to confirm if the leading casino junket operator in Asia ceased its Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) business. According to Domingo, "there are others more that are leaving the Philippines", which she said will not only affect government coffers but also 30,521 Filipinos working for POGO companies.    Just last week, the Department of Finance (DOF) said it is now looking into claims that only two POGO firms have paid taxes, with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III saying that the allegations are "probably true."

      The DOF in September 2019 already threatened to shut down POGOs with tax liabilities, with uncollected withholding income taxes then estimated at P21.62 billion. A number of POGOs have since been closed. Aside from Suncity, PAGCOR said Don Tencess Asian Solutions has also officially sought for the cancellation of its license from the gaming regulator. 

      . . . "There are other jurisdictions that have opened up offering better tax rates and friendlier environment," Tria added, "Some [POGOs] also can no longer take the criticisms they get each day that make them feel unwelcome in our country."

      Aside from POGO license holders, Tria said 13 service providers—which involves call center operations, telemarketing, systems and hardware support, as well as “live dealer” video streaming and other online games—have also closed shop.

      Data released by Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) earlier this month showed that the POGO sector accounted for 13% of office space demand from January to May this year, even with the quarantines.

      > https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/744552/pogo-exodus-looms-as-gaming-firms-keen-to-exit-philippines-says-pagcor/story/

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      • 2 years later...

      BEL vs PLC . Belle owns 80%, worth nearly its full share price

      PLC/ Premier Leisure vs BEL/ Belle Corp., LR . from Jan'19: 5yr: 3yr: 1yr: YTD: 10d / Last: 0.45 / 1.15 = 39.1%

      3FppZoT.gif

      from Jan'19: 3.15.20: YTD: 10d / Last: 0.45 / 1.15 = 39.1%

      UHdIGyV.gif

      3.15.20: YTD: 10d / Last: 0.45 / 1.15 = 39.1%

      8b1imTQ.gif

      BELLE Corp. Investments
      PLC  : Prem. Leisure Corp: 79.78% : 24.9B x0.43= 10.700B
      LOTO: Pacific Online Sys. : 50.10% : .449B x1.48=  0.665B
      APC  : APC Grp, .021 BkV : 48.80% :  3.7 B x.212 =  0.784B
      Smph: SM Prime Hldgs.    : < 1%.    : 61.8M x36.9=  2.280B
      ====  Four Traded Co’s. : ===== :  ====  ===  =  14.43 B
      ====                                 : 14.43B  / 9.76= P1.48 / BEL sh.

      BEL : Belle Corp.              :  100%.  : 9.76B  x1.19 = 11.61 B
      * PLC pays 0.050 div.  x 24.9B = P2.00B
      Other investments
      + City of Dreams Resort :
      + LAND for development
      + Premium Leisure amusements
      + Tagaytay Club shares
      ================  = value: 16.B ?
      - Debt Outstanding
      - Total NAV :  3.10 x 9.76B = 30.2B

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      • 2 weeks later...

      Pogos told to pay P1.365 billion and leave

      WOW!  “Why were debts by Pogos allowed to get this big? Pagcor needs to go after them. Not only do they owe more than a billion, they have also brought in crime. Pogos, pay your dues and get out of the Philippines,” Hontiveros said in a statement."  

      / SHOCKING.  But this message will probably lead them to: LEAVE without paying.  OBVIOUSLY!        

       

      Benjamin-Diokno-POGO-filephoto-091422-62

      Diokno: Let’s discontinue with Pogo because of social cost

      Diokno spoke during the Senate Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing on the National Expenditure Program for 2023.

      He explained that the total revenues in the industry had fallen to P3.9 billion in 2021, significantly lower than the year before, which was at P7.2 billion.

      ( haha. seems like: POGOs are sort of HALF Gone already, in terms of the Revenue benefits.)

      Some communities like Ayala Alabang have already banned POGO-related tenants

       

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      IMPACT?  BIG DROP IN RENTS, if....

      Makati POGO rents down from 1500 to 900.  Could fall to 700 if remaining pogos are kicked out.  Other areas lower.

      From Manila Bay to Makati to Alabang: Office rent to collapse by as much as 80% from total POGO pull-out – Leechiu

      Double-dragon.jpg

      A leading real estate expert warned that a total pullout of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) could trigger a collapse in rental rates...

      n a recent report, Leechiu said the Bay Area office towers would bear the brunt of the POGO full exit with rentals expected to plunge to as low as P300 per square meter from its peak of P1,500 per square meter in 2019.

      viber_image_2022-09-18_18-06-03-042-1.jp

      POGOs have occupied a combined 1.7 million sqm of office space in 2019 but tightening regulations from China and Philippine authorities, plus the pandemic, have shrunk the industry footprint by nearly 40 percent to 1.05 sqm.

      Some government officials, lawmakers and public interest groups have lobbied the government to kick out all POGOs in the country due to a wave of crimes perpetrated by a few rogue industry players.

      The Department of Finance and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) have addressed the main public concerns on the rise of POGOs and influx of Chinese staff such as income tax payments, workers permit registration, higher franchise fees, and self-policing in the industry.

      Pagcor has already cancelled the franchises of lawbreaking POGOs while the police have cracked down on the crimes these few bad apples have perpetrated.

      > https://bilyonaryo.com/2022/09/18/from-manila-bay-to-makati-to-alabang-office-rent-to-collapse-by-as-much-as-80-from-total-pogo-pull-out-leechiu/

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      WHY some want POGOs OUT - stories like THIS...

      Culling unscrupulous POGOs: Pagcor strips license of Crimson Tulip for kidnapping, illegal detention of 132 staff

      The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has revoked the license of a Pasig-based Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) for kidnapping and detaining 143 Filipino and foreign workers. The NBI and BI rescued 70 Chinese, 16 Vietnamese, two Taiwanese, one Malaysian and 44 Filipinos who were allegedly forced to work in Crimson Tulip’s operations.

      Pagcor said the revocation of Crimson Tulip’s license is proof of its seriousness in stopping the POGO-related crimes which have put legitimate POGO operations in a bad light.  Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said failure to arrest the rise of POGO-related crimes could force the government to pull the plug on the industry, including legitimate players.

       

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      LR still climbing... on Name change

      LR / Leisure and Resorts World ... update: 10d / Last:  2.38 +0.11

      7OgnmtG.gif

      LR, Up another +4.8% today.    
      LR - Leisure and Resorts World Corporation   NEW NAME coming.     
      C07007: LRWC amended amendments to Articles of Incorporation - 1
      Date of Approval by Board of Directors: Sep 15, 2022 Date of Approval by Stockholders: TBA Other Relevant Regulatory Agency, if applicable: N/A Date of Approval by Relevant Regulatory Agency: N/A Date of Approval by SEC: TBA Date of Receipt of SEC approval: TBA Amendment(s) Article No. I FROM: That the name of the said corporation shall be: LEISURE & RESORTS WORLD CORPORATION (formerly, Atlas Fertilizer Corporation) TO: That the name of the said corporation shall be: DigiPlus Corporation.

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