Chiz calls for new financial, social audit of PIGOs

Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Sunday called anew for a comprehensive financial and social audit of internet gambling platforms as he lamented the rapid rise of online gaming, where bets can be placed via mobile apps, saying, “There is now a casino in every Filipino’s pocket.”

Escudero emphasized that the easy accessibility of online gaming should urge government regulators to perform a “social cost-state benefit” analysis of the activities of Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs), warning that “online gaming can now take money from every Filipino.”

He suggested that the same accounting methods the government used to assess and ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) should be applied to PIGOs as well.

“What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander? An anomaly does not cease to be one because Filipinos are doing it,” he said.

“I would like to see the government apply the same level of attention to detail in assessing PIGOs as it did with POGOs. Didn't all government agencies take a granular approach in studying the impact of POGOs on our society?”

Once the inquiry into PIGOs begins, Escudero expects to see data on “tax payments from PIGOs, their ownership structure, the government's share, and police reports on crimes committed by addicted gamblers.”

He also emphasized that a new assessment of the entire gaming industry is necessary to get an accurate picture of how much Filipinos are betting each year.

“Ang nakikita lang kasi natin ay ‘yung gross revenues, net income ng mga gaming and gambling firms. Pero dapat ilabas ang total na taya na inilalagak ng mga Pilipino across the board and in all platforms (What we only see are the gross revenues and net income of gaming and gambling firms. But the total amount wagered by Filipinos across all platforms should also be revealed),” he said.

Escudero likewise mentioned that his office has received reports from industry insiders indicating that total online bets could range from P600 billion to P1 trillion annually — more than double the reported gross yearly sales of a well-known fast-food chain in the country.

“Mas malaki rin into ng P150 billion sa value ng ani ng palay sa Pilipinas sa loob ng isang taon. I-compute mo ang halaga ng lahat ng baboy, manok, baka, kambing na na-produce sa Pilipinas, mas malaki pa rin ang nataya sa online gaming (This is also PHP150 billion more than the value of rice harvests in the Philippines in a year. If you calculate the value of all the pigs, chickens, cattle, and goats produced in the Philippines, the amount wagered in online gaming is still higher),” he lamented.

In weighing social costs, the Senate President wants the evaluation of PIGOs to “go beyond counting pesos and cents.”

“Hindi ba addictive ang mga apps ito na pati ang pera pampagkain ng pamilya o pang gatas ng bata ay itataya na lang? At hindi ba totoo na ang tao na sa sugal nagigipit ay sa krimen at kalokohan kakapit? (Aren't these apps addictive, to the point where people would bet money meant for their family's food or their child's milk? And isn't it true that people who are financially strapped due to gambling often turn to crime and wrongdoing?),” he asked.

Escudero then expressed concern that while physical casinos can flag underage entrants to their facilities, “there is no bar for a grade schooler to log into a PIGO account.”