Chinese offshore gambling is supposed to be the goose that lays the golden eggs. But Filipinos are discovering that finding those eggs is easier said than done.
Philippine offshore gaming operators, or Pogos, have turned the country into a multibillion-peso gambling haven targeting Chinese citizens through casinos and online games. Chinese-backed firms that are largely based in Metro Manila and employ tens of thousands of Chinese workers, Pogos rocketed in number after President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016. The problem is, the government does not know how many Pogo companies there are, how many people they employ, nor whether they are paying any taxes. And while economists and finance officials feel the Pogos should be paying more, government leaders cannot seem to agree on how to deal with the gambling firms.
In the past three years, Pogos have snapped up office space in Manila, paying premium prices, to the delight of real estate firms. Government, too, has benefited. A Philippine Star report said that next year the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) expects to collect US$200 million in license fees from Pogos.
There are other benefits. Congressman Ruffo Biazon told This Week in Asia: “There are downstream economic activities where we earn … real estate is booming because of the Chinese. The retail industry is getting vibrant with the Chinese workers spending money here. The operational costs they entail are paid to local suppliers, contractors.”
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