In a show of cooperation, both Beijing and Manila have disbanded an illegal gambling ring that involved 180 Chinese nationals.
In October of 2023, Philippine authorities raided an illegal offshore gambling ring that saw 180 Chinese nationals repatriated back to China, according to the Beijing Embassy. The Embassy added that it fully supports joint law enforcement efforts to combat illegal offshore gambling involving Chinese nationals.
In the Philippines, offshore gambling sites are both legal and illegal, depending on whether the business has an operator’s license or not. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) issues Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) licenses to online casinos but enforces a strict rule that they cannot offer their services to the Philippines.
Who Regulates Online Gambling In The Philippines?
PAGCOR was established in 1979 by Presidential Decree 1067-a to oversee the gambling industry in the Philippines. While online casinos were launched in the ’90s, PAGCOR has since been tasked with governing that industry and its domestic services.
Philippine gambling laws do not allow brick-and-mortar casinos to offer their services online to the Philippines; however, legal online casinos in the Philippines are available from offshore casinos operating legally in their country. It has been suggested that Filipinos only play licensed casino sites to further protect themselves from rogue operations located outside the country.
How Bad Is Illegal Gambling In The Philippines?
In 2023, there were multiple cases involving illegal gambling where thousands of people were either detained or deported, depending on the circumstance. Illegal online gambling has been linked to forced labor, human trafficking, and other violent crimes throughout the country. Numerous state officials and prominent business people have lobbied to rid the government-aided POGO program and crack down on illegal gambling operations.
Are Online Casinos Legal In The Philippines?
Online casino sites we review are legal in the Philippines as they operate legally and from outside the country. To assure players that real-money casino games are legitimate, licensed online casinos regularly allow compliance checks where odds, titles, and security protocols are tested to guarantee they are working correctly.
Real-money online casino games replicate the odds from domestic casinos and are often the same software, depending on the game. You can also find live dealer games online via a live video and audio feed. Today, online casinos are easily accessible and offer numerous banking options to add to their already impressive convenience.