The Philippines Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Southeast Asian nation’s gaming regulator & casino operator, has announced plans to make notable changes to the online gaming landscape.

Making its presence felt at the recently held Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia summit in Macau, PAGCOR officials revealed that it is working on some plans to introduce some new rules that will make the country’s gambling ecosystem to look very different.

Alejandro Tengco, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PAGCOR, delivered a keynote speech at the G2E Asia summit, where he announced that the country will see a spectacular shift in operations in the not-too-distant future.

Tengco declared that the road would be paved for online poker and slots to flourish in the country. To make that happen, the segment of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) will be put on notice.

According to the top executive, the gaming regulator is in need to have greater regulatory responsibilities. He explained that greater regulatory responsibilities are required not only to get rid of illegal gaming activities but also to make the country a “prime gaming destination” in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) union.

Speaking on the topic, Tengco said, “By focusing on its regulatory functions, PAGCOR will be able to avoid the complexities of running two different shows. It can also streamline its processes and create more revenues that will fund more high impact projects.”

Explaining the plans on intensified regulatory oversight, he further said that guidance for online poker and slots would be introduced, while a number of policies to improve the online segment have already been updated.

Starting this year, PAGCOR will introduce regulatory frameworks for operations of online poker, improve slot machine operations, upgrade gaming equipment and enhance existing regulatory frameworks in the Philippines.

For achieving those goals, the country will surely have to remove the stigma that is currently enveloping the POGO segment. Some recent reports claim that some POGO operators are actively involved in serious crimes like human trafficking and fraud schemes. Over the past few months, law enforcement authorities have recovered thousands of trafficked victims in the Philippines.

Obviously, it would not be easy to do away with the POGO business as this segment is generating millions of dollars in revenue every year. In the meantime, PAGCOR has put all licensed POGOs on probation, with immediate effect. In other words, each and every POGO operator will have to apply for a new license.