The Philippine Ministry of Labor and Employment said about 22,000 Filipinos working for legal overseas gaming operators in the Metro Manila region could lose their jobs if online gaming companies are banned in the Philippines.

Labor Minister Bienvenido Ragsma made the comments in a television interview on Thursday amid ongoing calls for the government to ban the previously named Philippine Maritime Game Operator (POGO)

The Philippine Play and Gaming Company (Pagcor), the Philippine gaming regulator, approved a new regulation for POGO, now referred to as the “Internet Game License” (IGL), in July last year. 바카라사이트

Ragsma noted that his department is taking the necessary steps to support affected workers if there is a ban on overseas gaming operators.

“Whether or not the operations of legitimate POGO companies will be suspended is facing major challenges or challenges as it could affect the employment of some workers,” Ragsma said, as cited by the Manila Standard newspaper.

“Official data shows that between January and April this year, around 8,000 foreign employment permits were issued to foreign workers employed by licensed IGLs in China. Most of these foreign workers were Vietnamese and Chinese,” Mr. Ragsma said.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment also pledged to step up screening of foreigners applying for permission to work in the overseas gaming sector.

Ragsma’s comments come amid a recent campaign to ban some overseas game operators following raids on some companies operating in the U.S.

The Chinese embassy in Manila recently urged overseas Philippine operators to ban “China-Philippine relations,” saying they were “harmful to both the Philippines and China’s interests.”

According to GGRAsia’s review of data published by regulators, Pagcor recently turned 13 temporary IGL permits into formal ones. The switch brings the list of IGL permit holders to offer games to international customers to 40.

In late May, Philippine Senator Sherwin Gachalian introduced legislation to ban the operation of offshore game operators in the Philippines.