Philippines call for action against illegal online gambling
News on 13 Apr 2015
News on 13 Apr 2015
Unlicensed and illegal online gambling is rampant in three urban areas in the Philippines, the Manila Times reported over the weekend, pinpointing the Clark Special Economic Zone in Angeles City, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the Makati suburb of Manila.
The newspaper’s investigative report claims that the illegal activity has grown into a multi-million dollar unlawful business to which local authorities are turning a blind eye, and calls for the intervention of the national Justice Department under Secretary Leila Delima.
The illegal online gamblers do not have licensing from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Authority (CSEZA), the sole licensing and regulatory bodies.
They are not paying taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and they are creating headaches for the Bureau of Immigration because many of those involved are Chinese or Korean nationals illegally in the country who have been ‘sold’ unlawful franchises to operate, allegedly by a local land casino owner, Jack Lam, the newspaper claims.
“In short, Lam is engaged in illegal operations and CDC authorities are in cahoots with him,” the Manila Times accuses, speculating that officials at both the CDC and the SBMA are on Lam’s payroll.
