The Philippines authorities have approved a new 5% tax on the gaming revenues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

The House Committee on Ways and Means passed the measure which sees POGOs classified as resident corporations and therefore subject to an additional 5% franchise tax on top of current tax and fees.

PAGCOR currently collects a 2% franchise tax from licensed offshore operators, generating around Php8 billion in revenue each year, but the 5% tax is expected to push that figure to Php20 billion.

The new measure also allows for all foreign employees of POGOs earning Php600,000 (US$11,850) or more to be taxed 25% on their wages and other allowances, potentially pushing the government’s annual revenue from the POGO industry north of Php45 billion.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued notices to Internet service providers (ISPs), under Section 313(3) of the telecommunications act, to take steps to prevent their customers from accessing unauthorised offshore sites “Emu Casino” and “Fair Go Casino.”

ACMA said that the two sites it was targeting offered casino-style games, which are prohibited by the Interactive Gambling Act.

Section 313(3) has previously been employed to block access to child abuse material, tackle online fraud and prevent the spread of malware. The government in mid-2017 released guidelines for the use of the power by Commonwealth agencies, following an incident where a notice issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) saw hundreds of thousands of sites erroneously blocked.

“Emu Casino and Fair Go Casino are illegal sites that target Australians, and between the two we have received more than 50 complaints about their conduct,” ACMA’s chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.

Aristocrat has successfully completed the 30-day field trial of its ONE LINK Bonusing solution in Nevada. Casino operators across Nevada can now offer their players increased levels of engagement and excitement with the approval of enhanced and expanded features within Aristocrat’s ONE LINK Bonusing solution.

Aristocrat’s ONE LINK is available to operators regardless of whether or not they own Aristocrat’s Oasis 360 system solution, allowing operators across Nevada to bring this innovative solution to their players.

“Oasis ONE LINK Bonusing features help casino partners further increase fun and excitement on the floor. It is one more way that Aristocrat is creating industry-leading solutions with the customer experience in mind,” Thomas Castleberry, Aristocrat’s VP of Systems Strategic Initiatives said.