• By quade
• 6 August 2024

BPO Casino Services Spared from POGO Ban

PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco spoke to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. regarding his planned ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). While they wish to continue with the total ban, one sticking point is the BPO casino services which are BPOs. Alenadro has advocated sparing them from this ban and even providing them with some help.

Alejandro spoke before a recent budget hearing for PAGCOR and met with the president. He made his case that sparing BPO casino services would allow the president to save an estimated 10,000 jobs as it would allow them to continue operating.

Reason for Sparing BPO Casino Services

When making his case to President Marcos, Alejandro explained that while some BPOs might have POGO clients, it is not legal to consider them as part of the POGOs. They have no direct involvement in their client’s operations and are not responsible for collecting bets from the games. They are simply outsourced labor and the casinos are clients.

If the POGOs leave, the BPOs will still be able to operate by finding legal clients. The Department of Labor and Employment has also given their support to this plan and recommended they further study the implications of these ideas.

They believe the biggest benefit of this is it will allow the worker’s BPO casino services to continue operating and finding new clients. This will minimize the shakeup in the job market and allow the businesses to find legal clients. 

For non-POGO clients, it will also minimize the impact on their outsourcing needs as it allows many BPOs to continue operating and providing their services. It might even cause an influx of labor as many of these operators are now without clients. Companies can now have their pick of the best BPO services in the country without having to compete with POGOs for outsourcing.

What Will Happen to the BPO Casino Services

Tengco also explained that PAGCOR will try to help employees working in BPO casino services. They are collaborating with DOLE to help displaced workers by establishing a fund that can provide them with financial support. 

At the same time, the Department of Justice is also working on providing funding for foreign workers so they may return to their home countries. This ensures that the POGOs are banned and their ability to operate in the Philippines is reduced. 

“My commitment to both the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice is I will find a way to see and study how PAGCOR will be able to help out by setting up a fund that you mentioned,” 

-Alejandro Tengco, Chairman of PAGCOR.

Tengco presented these plans to President Marcos as well and urged him to take more action to help the BPO workers who will be displayed. these represent significant disruptions to the BPO industry and they hope to limit its effects.

They hope that this will benefit the industry, clients, and the economy as a whole as it will allow clients to continue accessing services while reducing the unemployment crisis.

How Will Sparing BPO Casino Services Affect the Industry?

The POGO ban is expected to cause some disruptions to the Philippine economy as these organizations make up a sizable portion of foreign investment, but the BPO industry is expected to face some stress too. Many clients of these BPO outsourcing providers are POGOs and this might cause disruptions to their services.

But this might be a blessing in disguise as without BPO casino services, it allows these operators to offer services to other more legitimate clients. With an estimated 10,000 BPO workers now free to offer their services elsewhere, this gives a fresh influx of labor to a growing and high-demand industry.

This can help the industry grow and develop while providing the best possible services as these workers can share their expertise and experience with their new clients.