Section
POGO Tracker
Where the displaced Philippine offshore gaming operators went, and what happened to the people who worked for them.
6 articles
Inside CEZA and Aurora: The Philippine Economic Zones That Defined a Gaming Era — and the One That Refused to Host POGOs
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority were the two Philippine special economic zones that held independent gaming-licensing authority under the country's freeport framework. CEZA's position — that it never licensed POGOs, only its own iGaming framework under Republic Act 7922 — and Aurora's separate trajectory tell a quietly important parallel history of Philippine gaming policy that sits underneath the better-known PAGCOR narrative.
The Post-POGO Cambodia Scam-Casino Nexus: OFAC, Chen Zhi, and What Sihanoukville Looks Like Now
An analytic read of the post-POGO Cambodian gaming structure that 2026 has revealed: the Chen Zhi-led Prince Group's $15B forfeiture, the OFAC sanctions on Senator Kok An, and the eight Cambodian casinos stripped of licenses since April. What the actions describe — and what they imply for any operator considering Cambodia as a regulatory home.
Cambodia Revokes Zhong Huawei Casino License as Sihanoukville Crackdown Hits Eight Operators
Cambodia's Commercial Gambling Management Commission revoked the license of Casino Zhong Huawei Golden Sand International Entertainment in Sihanoukville on April 30, 2026, three weeks after a joint raid detained 104 foreign nationals and seized nearly 1,600 devices. Eight casinos have now lost licenses since April.
From Pasay to Sihanoukville: A POGO Worker's Migration
When the Philippine offshore gaming industry was shut down in 2024, the buildings emptied. The workers had to go somewhere. A reconstructed account of one path from Manila to a compound on the Cambodian coast — and what the journey reveals about a regional labor market in transition.
Why Cambodia Won the POGO Refugees: A Geopolitical Read
When the Philippines shut down POGOs in 2024, the displaced operators had options. Vietnam was closed. Myanmar was burning. Laos was too small. Cambodia opened a door — and built a three-tier licensing framework around it. The geopolitics behind a regional rebalancing.
Cambodia Gaming License Framework: Three-Tier System Targets Former POGO Operators
Cambodia's new three-tier licensing framework signals Southeast Asia's next regulatory battleground as displaced POGO operators seek new jurisdictions.