Aug 13, 2019 Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Saturday (Aug. 10) expressed confidence China’s concerns over online casinos in the Philippines catering to Chinese gamblers, which Beijing had declared as illegal, would be resolved by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet later this month. Illegal Online Gambling. A visibly agitated President Rodrigo Duterte, the controversial and hot-blooded leader of the Philippines, recently issued a strongly worded speech focused on suppressing illegal online gambling.
News about another online gambling-related scandal in the Philippines emerged earlier today, when local media reported that 15 Chinese nationals were detained for participation in an illegal online gambling operation.
The individuals were arrested during a police raid at YD International Incorporated in Pasig City. Police officers also seized computers and other devices, which had allegedly been used for the illegal provision of online gambling services. YD International Incorporated does not hold a license from the Philippine gambling regulator, PAGCOR, as reported by local media, which means that it has no legal right to operate an online gambling business.
Complaints for violation of the Philippine illegal gambling and cybercrime prevention laws have been filed against all 15 detained individuals.
The announcement about the latest gambling-related arrests came three months after more than 1,200 Chinese nationals were detained for involvement in an illegal online gambling ring at the Fontana Leisure Parks & Casino resort in Clark Field.
The above-mentioned two instances of illicit iGaming activity arrests came as further manifestation of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s determination to conduct a massive crackdown on gambling in the country. President Duterte assumed office less than a year ago but has already made waves as the biggest enemy of all social ills. Online gambling has appeared on the radar screen of the country’s top official as one such social ill.
Last year, President Duterte said that he would crack down on illicit online gambling-related activities as soon as he had the necessary manpower to do this. As announced earlier this month, he has finally assembled the task force needed to proceed with his actions against wrong-doers.
Earlier this month, the official also signed Executive Order No. 13, a document that gave clearer definitions of what should be deemed illegal online gambling in the Philippines. Under the order, all iGaming operations within the country’s borders are absolutely prohibited. Online gambling operators can obtain licenses from PAGCOR, but only ones that allow them to provide iGaming services to non-Philippine nationals and to players located outside the Philippines.
The regulator together with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies will be vested with regulating and monitoring the licensed operators and with sanctioning everyone who violates the country’s gambling laws.
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Another 12 Chinese nationals have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines under allegations of involvement in illegal online gambling in Pampanga.
The NBI revealed that its operatives raided the house of the alleged unlawful online gambling operators situated in Trinidad Village, Pampanga on December 11th, after getting a search warrant from a Tarlac court. The raid and following arrests followed an intelligence report received by the Cybercrime Division of the National Bureau of Investigation on November 29th. According to the report, the illegal gambling activities had been carried out without a license issued by the country’s Government.
As mentioned above, 12 more Chinese people got arrested. One target, however, identified as Chen Hao Ran, was not to be found in the area at the time when the NBI operatives’ operation took place. The foreigner citizens who got arrested during the raids are facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602, under which stricter penalties in illegal gambling are recommended, in relation with the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
At the time of the raid, operation officers seized eleven desktop computers and two laptop computers, fifteen mobile phone devices, as well as two modem enhancers and two routers. According to the operatives and the Digital Forensic Laboratory tech agents, the aforementioned devices have been used in the illegal online gambling activities for maintenance, communication with customers and accounting of funds.
Only recently, the Philippines’ NBI carried out another raid, which ended up with 15 Chinese nationals with tourist visas taken to custody after them facing allegations of being involved in illegal online gambling operations based in Manila and Pampanga.
The previous raids took place on November 22nd in Malate, Manila, with five people being arrested at the time, and on November 23rd in Angeles City, with the Bureau’s professionals from the Cybercrime Division arresting ten individuals. The Chinese citizens were charged for violating the Anti-Illegal Gambling Act in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The ones who were arrested in the province of Pampanga also faced accusations of breaching the Access Device Regulation Act of 1998.
For some time now, the Philippines’ authorities have been engaged in tackling illegal gambling activities which are taking place across the country. Earlier in November, they took to custody 93 Chinese people from an online gambling facility based in Pasig city. According to allegations, the people arrested worked in the Philippines.
Lately, Chinese people have become more oriented towards the gambling market of the Philippines, both as workers and players. The trend, however, was found concerning by some officials, such as Senator Joel Villanueva, who commented that the large number of Chinese immigrants robbed local people of jobs and often participated into illegal gambling activities, undermining gambling regulation and legislation.