Philippine Attorney, Presidential Spokesman Caught Up in POGO Probe
The Philippines’ Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is looking at ex-presidential spokesman Harry Roque as a possible suspect in its case against crime-ridden offshore gaming hubs.
PAOCC representative Winston Casio said Roque’s name appears in multiple documents unearthed at Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) that were raided in May and June.
“His name keeps on cropping up—in the documents, in the digital footprint, in the testimonial footprint,” Casio said. “We cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters.”
The POGOs were closed due to reports of online scams, human trafficking and torture. In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned the offshore gaming centers outright.
Thai’s Shinawatra: Casino Complexes Still in the Plan
The ouster of former Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin doesn’t mean the end of legal casinos in the kingdom.
Srettha got the boot earlier this month, after appointing a cabinet member once convicted of attempted bribery. Paetongtarn became prime minister on Aug. 20. She has not confirmed if she will support entertainment complexes, a linchpin of Srettha’s economic plan. But her father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, suggests she will.
On Aug. 22, Thaksin laid out a 14-point “Vision for Thailand” to lift it from the economic doldrums. “Our economy cannot fall any lower,” Thaksin said. His support of “entertainment complexes” with gaming suggests his daughter also will back them. Currently, many Thai punters cross the borders to Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos to gamble.
Two Guo Associates in Custody in Philippines
Two women suspected of involvement in raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) are in government custody in Manila. Shiela Guo and Cassandra Li Ong were apprehended in Indonesia and returned to the Philippines last week.
Shiela Guo is the sister of Alice Guo, former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac Province, who fled the country after being linked to crimes at a POGO there. The facility was raided in May after reports of online scams and human trafficking. Ong reportedly ran a POGO in Porac, Pampanga Province. It was raided in June following similar allegations.
Vietnam Extends Locals Gaming Trial
Vietnamese lawmakers have extended a pilot program that allows citizens to gamble at a casino in Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province. The test run, originally set to last from 2019 to 2022, will now continue through December.
In 2016, the Politburo approved two locals casinos—in Phu Quoc and Van Don, Quang Ninh Province—to see if they could operate successfully without creating social disruption. Only the first was completed. It opened in January 2019, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To fully assess the potential of locals gaming, lawmakers have extended the trial until the end of the year. Depending on the results, they will suspend the program or continue and possibly expand it.
Macau Operator Sands China Tops in GGR for 2Q
Sands China holds a commanding lead among Macau’s Big 6 casino concessionaires. According to Deutsche Bank, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. unit lost ground in the mass segment, dipping from 25.6 percent in the first quarter to just under 25 percent from April through June. It made up the difference in the VIP segment, rising from 14.2 percent in 1Q24 to 21.1 percent in 2Q24.
Sands China is the only one of the six gaming operators with a market share above 20 percent. It also cornered the market in 2023, generating 26.6 percent of GGR for the full year.
