Online gambling operators in the Philippines face a grim future if they continue to operate without a local license, according to the country’s gambling regulatory body.

On Sunday, Andrea Domingo, chair of the state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), said local officials would make life miserable for any online gambling operator conducting business from the Philippines without a PAGCOR-issued Philippine Offshore Gambling Operator (POGO) license.

Philippine law enforcement agencies have raided over 170 illegal online gambling operations since January 2017 and PAGCOR VP Jose Tria Jr. claimed the crackdown had been “stepped up” in June 2018 following a “mutual cooperation” pact with the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Immigration.

Domingo offered illegal online gambling operators a “word of advice,” namely, “legalize your operations or face dire consequences.” Said consequences could mean either criminal charges or deportation, depending on the passport anyone swept up in the dragnet happens to be holding.