Offshore gaming operations in the Philippines are “detrimental to both Philippine and Chinese interests” and the “images” of those nations, “as well as China-Philippines relations,” said on Friday a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in the Philippine capital, Manila.

“Chinese law prohibits all forms of gambling. The Chinese government strictly cracks down on Chinese citizens engaging in gambling business abroad,” including Philippine offshore gaming operations, the spokesperson told a news briefing.

The country’s gaming regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), approved in July last year new regulations for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which are now referred to as “Internet Gaming Licensees” (IGLs).

In the embassy’s Friday remarks, the spokesperson stated that there was “ample evidence” of criminal activities linked to the offshore gaming industry, such as “kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking and murder”.

The person said: “In recent years, the Chinese and Philippine law enforcement agencies have maintained close communication and cooperation and conducted multiple joint operations to bring down cross-border gambling and telecom fraud.”

“We appeal to the Philippines to ban POGO at an early date so as to root out this social ill,” added the spokesperson. “And we firmly oppose any baseless accusation and smearing against China in connection with POGO.”

According to the official, “since 2018, nearly 3,000 Chinese citizens implicated” in offshore-gaming related cases “have been repatriated with joint efforts of both sides”.

According to the embassy, “the vast majority of the Chinese citizens involved in these cases are victims of the Philippine offshore gambling industry”.

“In the past year alone, China has assisted the Philippines in shutting down five POGO hubs and repatriated nearly 1,000 Chinese citizens.”

Pagcor recently converted 13 provisional IGL permits to full ones, according to a review by GGRAsia of materials issued by the regulator. The conversion took to 40 the list of IGL permit holders allowed to offer gaming to customers offshore.

In late May, Philippine senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed a bill seeking to outlaw operations of offshore gaming operators in the country.