Pasig gov't orders closure of online gambling establishments
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Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto is giving online gambling establishments in the city a year to shut down their operations based on newly signed Ordinance 55 Series of 2022.
“Ordinance 55, s-22. Existing online gambling establishments in Pasig have 1 yr (2023) to wind up operations,” Sotto said in a tweet with an attached copy of the ordinance.
Sotto said new online gambling establishments including Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will not be granted permits.
“While we have seen the social ills of these forms of gambling (nabalitaan niyo ba yung nanay na sinangla yung anak?), that's not all. I take it as a personal insult when there are ‘alleged’ offers of bribes every permit renewal season. Kung lehitimo ba't kailangan ng lagay lagay,” he said.
(While we have seen the social ills of these forms of gambling (have you heard the news about a mother who pawned her child?), that’s not all. I take it as a personal insult when there are "alleged" offers of bribes every permit renewal season. If it is legitimate, then why is a bribe needed?)
Signed by the city council on December 15, Ordinance 55 Series of 2022 is effective immediately.
The ordinance disallows the operations, applications, and approval of licenses to operate online games of chance in the city, and sets a one-year period for the cessation of operations of listed operating establishments.
These games include online casinos, e-games, online sabong, e-bingo outlets, online poker, computer gaming stations.
The ordinance also covers the operations of service providers providing technical support to these games.
“Any person, natural or juridical, who is found liable for violating this Ordinance shall be fined in the amount of P5,000 or an imprisonment for a period of one year, or both in the discretion of the court,” the ordinance reads. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News
