Philippines shuts 214 illegal Chinese offshore gambling firms
Philippine Justice Ministry plans to discontinue operations of all illegal Chinese offshore gambling companies. First of 400 detained Chinese workers has been deported.
Crackdown is directed against illegal Chinese gambling operators. The country’s government manages gambling through the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). PAGCOR operates a number of individual casinos and acts as a regulator to privately owned casino operators in the Philippines. Since 2016, PGCor has also granted operating licenses and overseen the regulation of the growing online gambling sector serving offshore markets.
Beijing supports the Philippines crackdown on illegal gambling. The country generated around 7.2 billion pesos ($122.21 million) in 2020 and 3.9 billion in 2021 in POGO fees alone.
Philippines shuts 214 illegal Chinese offshore gambling firms. Malta is one of the first European countries to regulate the gaming sector. The island is an obvious choice for SiGMA’s presence in Europe.