As a result of a recent raid on a Pasay City building located along Williams Street conducted by a task force under the leadership of the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) together with the Department of Justice, law enforcement officers in the Philippines have set free 731 workers. 

Most of them were Chinese, along with seven Filipinos, and other foreign workers. 

Operating Under Different Names

The operation was initiated after Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 35’ judge Maricris Pahate-Felixs issued a search warrant against operators Caic and Tein.

Smart Web was one of two Philippine Overseas Gaming Operation (POGO) companies that had their licenses revoked by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR). It was later discovered that the POGO company had chosen a different business name and was still offering its services to clients. 

The same company also had a new PAGCOR IGL, which is an Internet Gaming License issued to all offshore gaming companies accredited or issued a license to operate in the Philippines.

According to PAOCC, PAGCOR’s staff had failed to thoroughly assess the respective area after the guards on the site prevented the inspection team from doing its job. 

Senator Joel Villanueva was curious to know how the respective companies were still able to offer their services in spite of having their permits revoked. Villanueva called for an outright ban on businesses with close ties to criminal activities.

The head of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Sherwin Gatchalian recommended that POGOS would be immediately kicked out from the Philippines while also denouncing the gambling industry’s alleged ties with sex trafficking and sex slavery.

Gatchalian further added that PAGCOR failed to keep a close eye on the sector and that completely banishing the trade would be the only viable solution to stop the criminal activities connected to it.

Police data speaks about over 4,000 reports of POGO-related crimes, including human trafficking and kidnapping during the first six months of 2023. During the same period, authorities in the Philippines conducted 41,000 arrests tied to illegal gambling out of 50,000 nationwide police operations.

Criminal Charges and License Revocation Ahead

According to a PAOCC statement on the matter, as a consequence of the “abundance of evidence pointing to sex trafficking on said site,” the next step of the process will be the completion of an onsite inquest hearing necessary for filing criminal charges. 

During the raid on the self-contained operation, two male Chinese workers identified with the initials S.N. (27), and L.H.Y. (22) reached out to government officers and claimed they had been kept against their will at the premises. The two men also showed the authorities signs of physical torture on their bodies.

S.N. said he had been allegedly kidnapped and sold five months earlier for the amount of PHP500,000 ($10,000) from another POGO operation. L.H.Y. claimed he was being held there against his will for over a year and forced to work for 15 hours a day.

The 731 workers were rescued from the second floor of the building, where they were found in an aquarium-style viewing chamber part of a massage parlor. 

The authorities made six arrests during the raid, with charges of human trafficking and torture.

PAOCC also stated they would recommend that Smart Web Technology Corp.’s temporary license as an IGL operator be revoked on grounds of enabling human trafficking at their facility. 

The building, together with the rest of the assets under the ownership of Smart Web will also be referred for freezing and likely confiscated since they represent “illegal gains.” 

In August, the national police announced a nationwide crackdown on illegal cockfighting gambling which led to 1,245 individuals being placed under arrest.

In July, PAGCOR announced its intentions to clamp down on offshore gaming service providers with ties to human trafficking and cryptocurrency scams by raiding a suspect business in Las Piñas City in Metro Manila. 

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After legalizing and launching mobile sports betting, New York surpassed markets that have operated for years, bringing record handle and revenues. Amid the growth of the popularity of mobile wagering, lawmakers in the state proposed expansion for the retail gambling sector. Earlier this year, New York lawmakers approved a plan that proposes the creation of up to three new downstate casinos. The proposed locations include Westchester County, New York City, as well as Long Island.

Identifying the potential of the market, many leading gaming companies have already joined the race for a downstate casino license. Las Vegas Sands (LVS), the leading developer and operator of integrated resorts, is one of the companies that joined the race for a New York casino license.

Rob Goldstein, LVS’ CEO, discussed the company’s latest financial results at an earnings call last week. At the time, he spoke about strong Q3 financial results and reaffirmed LVS’ plans to pursue a license in New York. The area where the company anticipates building an integrated resort in Nassau County. Overall, LVS plans to use nearly 100 acres for its new resort and that area includes the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

New York Casino Resort Represents a $5bn Investment

Goldstein explained: “We have secured the Nassau Colisino and the process of gaining necessary selling requirements to move forward.” He revealed that the local community supports the company’s project and hinted that the new integrated resort may cost north of $5 billion. Still, Goldstein said that this billion-dollar investment enables the company to deliver supreme entertainment and amenities. Finally, he acknowledged that the project represents a unique opportunity for LVS.

“The resort will cost in excess of $5 billion, but enables us to develop a five-star resort with unlimited appeal. This is simply an extraordinary opportunity.“

Rob Goldstein, CEO at Las Vegas Sands

Patrick Dumont, LVS’ president and COO, also participated in the recent discussion. Speaking about the company’s cash flow, he outlined that LVS is “sitting at about $5.6 billion worth of cash systemwide.”

“We’ll be able to do our concession commitment to Macao and then we’ll have excess capital and we’ll pursue New York, and we’re going to pursue other growth opportunities in new jurisdictions, and we’ll be able to do it all because of the timing of the cash flow, the cash we have on hand and the cash tentative nature of our assets.“

Patrick Dumont, president and COO at LVS

Dumont praised LVS’ operations in Singapore and Macau, explaining they continuously generate cash. Considering the current cash flow, he predicted that the company would be able to continue to invest in its Macau operations while at the same time proceeding with the casino license bid in New York. Dumont did not rule out further investments and pursuing opportunities in emerging markets.

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