CNN —The Philippines has announced plans to ban offshore gaming operators, targeting an industry that mostly caters to Chinese gamblers and has sparked growing alarm from law enforcement over its alleged connections to organized crime. Known locally as POGOs, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have spawned across the country, both licensed and illicit, employing tens of thousands of Chinese and foreign nationals. Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesThere are 46 licensed offshore gaming operators and dozens more illicit gambling hubs in the Philippines, according to the country’s gaming regulator, which Marcos has ordered to close by the end of the year. Since then, the Philippines has become a major hub for online gaming catering to tens of thousands of players based in China. “Even if overseas casinos are legally opened, cross-border gambling by Chinese citizens is suspected of violating the laws of our country,” the embassy said in a statement.

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Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, ” Marcos, Marcos, Ezra Acayan, Marcos ’, Rodrigo Duterte Organizations: CNN, Philippine Offshore Gaming, Macao –, Philippine News Agency Locations: Philippines, Philippine, Manila, Beijing, South China, China, Macao, Southeast Asia, United States, China’s, Singapore