Illegal Offshore Gambling Sites Still Active in Philippines

PAGCOR is once again sounding the alarm, warning Filipinos to stay alert as illegal offshore gambling sites continue to pretend they are licensed—even after the official shutdown of POGOs in the Philippines. The agency has identified 11 fake websites that falsely claim approval and even display the PAGCOR logo to appear legitimate.

Good to know

• 11 unlicensed offshore gambling sites are falsely using PAGCOR branding.
• The Philippines banned all POGO operations in 2024.
• Some former POGO operators are still illegally active despite the deadline to shut down.

Even though offshore gaming was banned nearly a year ago, several websites are still targeting players by posing as legal operators. PAGCOR released a statement on Sunday naming the following sites: efesbetcasino514.com, OG7777.com, Mpo500.com, QQ88.com, mpo2121.com, Lgolive.com, napolibet.com, Kratosbet.com, mpossport.com, efsanebahis434.com, and cazeus2.com.

These platforms have no legal authority to operate and are not backed by any PAGCOR-issued licence. What makes the situation worse is that some of them are using fake certificates and the agency’s logo to create a false sense of credibility.

“The use of PAGCOR’s name and logo is a blatant disrespect to the agency and poses a threat to the public,” said Alejandro Tengco, chairman and CEO of PAGCOR. “These platforms are not authorised to operate under any PAGCOR-issued licence.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered the ban on POGOs in mid-2024, citing serious criminal activity tied to these operations. During his July 22 State of the Nation Address, Marcos accused the industry of being a cover for a wide range of illegal activity, including online scams, human trafficking, prostitution, and even murder.

While the ban was put in place immediately, Executive Order 74 allowed former POGO operators to wrap up their business by December 31. Despite the deadline passing more than six months ago, PAGCOR says some are still trying to run their operations in secret.

“Any entity claiming to operate under a PAGCOR licence for offshore gaming is clearly violating the law,” Tengco said.

PAGCOR is now conducting stricter monitoring and plans to work with law enforcement to pursue legal action against any group found to be defrauding players or misusing the PAGCOR name.

Players in the Philippines are advised to stay away from any site claiming to be an offshore gaming platform operating under PAGCOR. If in doubt, it is safer to check directly with the agency before using any online betting service.

The post Illegal Offshore Gambling Sites Still Active in Philippines appeared first on iGaming.org.