As increasing measures are enacted to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, the gambling sector in the Philippines faces a lot of uncertainty. The Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has ordered casinos to cease operations for at least the next month. And now after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered strict home quarantine, a transportation ban, and closure of most businesses, Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) have to navigate a tricky path to stay operational. We spoke with several employees in the POGO industry to see what their arrangements are for the quarantine.

As someone stuck in the middle of this home quarantine situation myself, I can tell you it’s a bizarre experience. Manila, where there’s always the sounds of car horns and loud people, is quiet and eerily vacant. Nobody is leaving their home, for fear of either catching the virus, or running afoul of the authorities.

As part of the escalated quarantine, there is zero public transit, and for most people, the only methods of getting anywhere are either walking, or illegally hitchhiking. My mother-in-law had to walk 14 blocks to visit our apartment tonight, and let me tell you, nobody’s happy about that.

POGOs have not been ordered to close, putting them in a sticky situation. How do they keep operations running if employees can’t get to work, or landlords have shuttered their buildings?