For the most part – including the run-up to and immediate aftermath of the 2022 Philippine Presidential election – there’s been a general dearth of “scandal” to report on in the legal Philippine gambling sector. For months, the biggest story has been related to the alleged kidnappings associated with the now-banned e-Sabong market, with a … Read more
Well, the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup is officially over, with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel completing their historic run to the title. As the 6-seed, Barangay Ginebra was the underdog at the best Philippine sports betting sites for just about every single contest. First, they knocked off TNT Tropang Giga in a twice-to-beat quarterfinal, beating the … Read more
As online gambling enthusiasts (and big fans of brick-and-mortar gambling when we can find the time for it), we have mixed feelings on various subjects having to do with gambling addiction, gambling withdrawals, self-exclusion, and the like. In general, we think that these are important issues, but we’ve also seen how they’re often misused or … Read more
After nearly six years of scandal, it seemed for all the world that the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) market was quickly becoming a thing of the past. With new international gambling crackdowns sweeping through China over the last two years or so, POGOs found themselves doubly in the hot seat, as mainland Chinese gamblers … Read more
Another week, another weekly Philippine legal online gambling roundup. And, as you might expect, we have both good news and bad news to report. The good news comes by way of the latest PBA developments: On Sunday, the league announced a February 11 restart for the 2021-2022 Governors’ Cup. The move comes as a relief … Read more
Last week, we told you about the latest news regarding the restart of the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup. Due to coronavirus concerns amid the outbreak of the so-called Omicron variant, the conference was suspended on December 26 after just two and a half weeks of play. Most teams managed to play a full five games … Read more
Gambling expansion in the Philippines – slowed over the last two years by the coronavirus outbreak – is starting to pick up steam once again. In doing so, however, it’s met a surprising level of opposition. And this opposition isn’t just limited to online casino gambling or online cockfighting (aka eSabong), either. The recent governmental … Read more
Although there are only 10 days left in 2021, the biggest news in the Philippine casino market is that the island nation’s brick-and-mortar IRs will be operating at just 50% capacity throughout the remainder of the year. Of course, it’s not just the gambling floors that will be so limited. The halved capacity applies also … Read more
Last week, we told you about the arrest of Suncity Group’s Alvin Chau in Macau. Chau, accused of illegally funneling Chinese gamblers to online operations (allegedly – at least in part – to Philippine POGOs), has resigned from all posts within Suncity, but questions remain as to the overall fallout from the scandal. While these … Read more
Alvin Chau, the CEO of Suncity Group Holdings, was taken into custody this weekend after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the Chinese city of Wenzhou on Friday. Suncity is Macau’s largest junket operator, and China’s main complaint against the 47-year-old Chau is as basic and nebulous as you’d expect: money laundering. However, … Read more