The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has released a statement following a rising trend of illicit online gaming sites using the PAGCOR logo to feign authenticity.

The PAGCOR logo, a red and blue motif, has been found on several online casino websites that do not hold any valid licences.

An investigation is being held by the Philippine National Police, as well as to the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, said: “So far, we have been able to shut down most of these illicit websites, but some of them are able to immediately create new ones so we really need the public’s cooperation and vigilance to help us weed out these scammers.

“In coordination with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), we will also continue to follow up on illegal sites that have not been blocked or taken down.

“Another option is to create a landing site to redirect bettors to a website that will warn them about illegal sites that they are accessing.”

In addition to removing the websites when they’re uncovered, PAGCOR is taking steps to contact payment providers to stop payments towards illegal gambling websites.

The threats from unlicensed gambling websites are numerous and range from financial scams to stealing personal information.

The Government emphasises that there are a number of resources available for customers to check the authenticity of online gambling websites before they commit any personal information or financial means to them.

PAGCOR urges the public to check the list of licensees on the official government website to see if the operator is on the approved list or not, rather than simply trusting the presence of the PAGCOR logo on the site.

Earlier this summer, PAGCOR announced a rebranding effort to privatise 45 casinos across the country.