The Philippine Supreme Court approved civil forfeiture rules under Republic Act No. 12312, the Anti-POGO Act of 2025. The rules take effect fifteen days after their publication on 9 August, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The measure reinforces the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in July 2024. Licensed operators were given until the end of that year to wind down; the act itself was signed in October 2025.
Under the new rules, the state may seize property directly or indirectly tied to prohibited POGO activity: buildings, gaming equipment, inventory and proceeds from illegal operations. Civil forfeiture targets the link between assets and the violation, not the owner's guilt, and runs independently of any criminal case.
Law enforcement files a petition through the Office of the Solicitor General to a regional trial court. The court must determine probable cause within 24 hours. If grounds exist, it issues a freeze on transfer, concealment or disposal of the assets pending a final ruling. If not, the petition is dismissed and the respondent may reclaim seized property.
Some assets may be released before judgement if needed for government operations or victim protection. Gaming equipment cannot be destroyed before a final forfeiture order except in emergency cases posing a safety threat, and only after a hearing and preservation of evidence.
The POGO ban follows a wave of enforcement: in 2026 authorities detained 244 foreign nationals in the largest raid to date. For operators and affiliate programmes in the Philippines, the rules mean real risk of losing infrastructure before trial.
