In the Philippines, intense efforts to crack down on illegal gambling have paid off.Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) show a significant number of arrests this year as a result of operations focused on illegal gambling.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported on the 2nd that police had arrested about 41K people in an operation launched to influence the illegal gambling industry.Most of them are related to online games.
This initiative comes at a time when the Philippine gaming industry is going through a major transition.Recently, some form of online gambling has become all the rage, but it has also been plagued with corruption and has been forced to stop.
Notify POGO and eSabong
The Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) and eSabong segments have been facing serious problems lately. POGO once brought millions of dollars in revenue to the Philippines.But trying to raise the tax rate became a problem.
This has led many businesses to operate in questionable ways, including trafficking, exploitation, extortion and other crimes.As a result, the country's gaming regulator PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) and lawmakers have set out to rid the criminals.
PAGCOR has revoked dozens of POGO licenses over the past two years while simultaneously trying to preserve its reputation in the segment.But the effort has largely failed, and lawmakers are calling for a complete ban on POGOs.
Cockfighting online gambling eSabong has also come under fire.It also played a role in bringing millions of dollars in revenue to the Philippines.But corruption ruined it.
The eSabong-related missing persons are still under police investigation, and the PNP has had to arrest several of its own police officers in eSabong-related kidnapping cases.When a young mother tried to sell her newborn baby to pay off eSabong's gambling debt, the end came suddenly in sight.
eSabong went from a sanctioned activity to a prohibited activity in May 2022.But that doesn't stop the gambling, putting more pressure on the PNP.
help is coming
Major General Benjamin Acorda, Jr., the new head of the National Police, has strengthened a number of departments to increase powers to stop illegal gambling.The National Police's Cybercrime Fighting Group is working overtime to complete the mission, but Acorda admits there are obstacles.
According to comments to the PNA, the biggest is legislation.He stressed that gambling laws do not elaborate enough on online gambling.This makes it difficult for the PNP to prosecute what it considers a violation.
Legislative changes are underway to solve this problem, but the process is slow.However, the PNP receives assistance from both the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and PAGCOR.
PCSO and PAGCOR are helping the police crack down. The PCSO is an organization that uses lotteries and sweepstakes to raise funds for national health programs and is part of the Office of the President.As such, he has a very close relationship with President Ferdinand “Bonbon” Marcos.
PAGCOR has also been doing their part, even though they've recently had trouble with lawmakers.In addition to her licensing enforcement duties, she is now a member of the Clark Security Advisory Board.
The new organization was born out of a scandal involving over 1,000 human trafficking victims who were released in the Clark Freeport Zone of Pampanga.They were forced to work as slaves in illegal gambling companies and call centers until the police intervened.
Coordinated efforts through various approaches are likely the driving force behind the PNP.Illegal gambling is always a problem, but with strict scrutiny, it won't get out of control.
Comment