Zhang Qiaowei emphasized that the focus of the ban should be on entities outside those licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). He noted that the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) estimates that there are currently about 200 illegal online gambling operations nationwide. He warned that if illegal online gambling companies continue to operate, the government's ban will be difficult to fully implement.
Zhang Qiaowei also mentioned that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) must accurately determine the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of each online gambling operator. He believes that there is a discrepancy between the gaming revenue reported to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation by online gambling companies and the tax filings submitted to the tax bureau, resulting in a tax revenue shortfall of 2 to 5 billion pesos.
He further pointed out that the statistics on work permits for foreign workers from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) also show discrepancies, indicating that the number of foreign workers in the online gambling industry may be underestimated.
Zhang Qiaowei called for holistic measures to ensure the effective implementation of the ban and to address the current regulatory and tax issues.
