The Philippines’ online casinos rely on thousands of workers, many from nearby countries like Vietnam. Desperate to escape poverty, they are lured by promises of better wages and conditions. But some are tricked and end up being forced to do work against their will.
The casinos – referred to locally as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs – have gained an unsavoury reputation for criminal activity, including prostitution, trafficking and kidnappings of workers, some of whom were detained, or held for ransom, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused pressing labour shortages. While POGOs bring millions of dollars to government coffers each year, the heavy social costs have sparked calls for a ban.
Meet the young workers who are travelling to the Philippines – and still betting on POGOs as their way out of economic hardship. But victims who have suffered first-hand from the dark side of these online gaming operations show that fortune may not favour the brave.
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About CNA Correspondent: Highlights of news stories and features by CNA’s network of Correspondents based in major cities across the region.
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