Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on online gambling seems to be far from over, local media reported earlier today. During the official signing of the country’s 2017 budget, the Philippines’ top official said that he is determined to have all online gambling operations targeting residents closed.
President Duterte said he could not provide a specific time frame but promised that efforts will be made for the task to be completed as fast as possible. The official noted that his country does not benefit from online gambling in any way and that its proliferation should be restricted for Philippine residents’ good.
The Southeast Asian country’s new President assumed office in late June. He declared war on drug trafficking and other social ills during his cabinet’s very first meeting and has since then done the impossible to eradicate such social ills, sometimes opting for rather violent approaches.
Online gambling has also appeared on President Duterte’s radar screen as an issue that should be taken care of, although the ensuing iGaming crackdown has not reached such a violent magnitude.
PhilWeb, a local company that held a license for the operation of special facilities – cafés – that featured online gambling options, was probably the biggest victim to the President’s displease. The operator was denied an extension of its license and was forced to close hundreds of such cafés around the country.
To offset the losses incurred by the online gambling clampdown, PAGCOR, the Philippine gambling regulator, asked for and was authorized to issue licenses for offshore iGaming operations. First such licenses have recently been granted to interested operators that have assured and will have to assure that their products will not be available within the Philippines’ borders and to Philippine citizens no matter where in the world they are located.
President Duterte’s voiced determination to ramp up efforts to block the proliferation of online gambling comes shortly after he ordered the arrest of Chinese gambling tycoon Jack Lam for allegedly trying to bribe Philippine Police officers during a raid at his Fontana Leisure Parks & Casino last month. The police operation resulted in more than 1,200 Chinese citizens being detained for working in the country without the necessary documentation and for being involved in the provision of illegal online gambling operations.
