(UPDATED) Philippine gaming authorities are counting the cost of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr's decision to ban all Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), saying the order will affect 40,000 workers and some P40 billion in annual revenue. 

Marcos: 'Effective today, all POGOs are banned'

The President on Monday ordered a ban on all POGOs nationwide due to their involvement in criminal activities, saying the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. must “wind down and cease the operation of POGOs by the end of the year.”

Speaking to TeleRadyo Serbisyo, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco said some 40,000 Filipino workers will be directly affected by the POGO ban.

"May utos din siya sa [Department of Labor and Employment] at economic managers na masusing pag-aralan kung paano matutulungan 'yung maapektuhan ng utos na isara ang mga kumpanya ng POGO," he said. 

PAGCOR is also projected to lose P7 billion to P7.5 billion in annual revenue while the Bureau of Internal Revenue will lose at least P14 billion as a result of the POGO closures, he said. This does not include collections by the labor department and immigration bureau. 

PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group operatives process seized computers and cellphones used allegedly for an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operation in Las Pinas City in June 2023. ABS-CBN News/file  

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman earlier said POGOs bring in between P40 billion and P50 billion in revenues, which she described as “small.”

“That [amount] can be done through efficiency and our revenue generation,” she said.

The Department of Finance  also said the Philippines loses over P99 billion annually due to POGO operations.

Budget chief says PH 'does not need' POGOs

Tengco said he had pushed for regulation of POGOs, noting only 42-43 POGO entities are operating legally. 

"Pag nag-utos na ang Pangulo, tayo po ay susunod," he said. 

For his part, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian praised the President's decision to ban all POGOs after some POGOs were linked to various crimes such as illegal drug activities, scam operations, and alleged torture of workers. 

Torture videos shown during live-streamed House hearing into POGO crimes

"Aminado tayo na meron din tayong 20,000 na mga kababayan na nagtatrabaho sa mga POGO kailangan din natin hanapan ng kapalit na trabaho. 'Yung another 25,000 na mga foreigners, kakanselahin na 'yung kanilang working visa at babalik na sila sa kanilang mga home country," he said. 

He said the Senate will continue its investigation on POGOs including Bamban Mayor Alice Guo's alleged links to the companies Zun Yuan Technology Inc., BAOFU Land Development Inc., and Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. 

CA freezes assets of Alice Guo, others in illegal POGOs