Philippines city shutters more online gambling firms

The Makati City government in the Philippines has just shuttered its 117th online gambling firm since the middle of the year for operating without a current permit, perpetuating the sense that the region is an increasingly hostile online gambling environment.

The target this time was Hao Ying Solutions Inc., which the city Business Permits Office claims was operating without a current mayoral permit.

The media reports on the closure do not identify which online operations the company runs, however our readers may recall that two months ago the company was raided by officers of the National Capital Region Police Office who arrested 60 employees from various Asian nations and seized a hundred computer sets on allegations of illegal online gambling.

The manager of the operation, Zhang Hai Long has been accused of being in possession of illegal drugs as well. Officers at the time said that Hao Ying was supposed to be operating in Santa Ana, Cagayan, as a business engaged in gaming support services or business process outsourcing.

Thursday’s shutdown followed enquiries by the BPO which showed that the company was not occupying the address it gave on registration for a permit in January this year.

The shutdown orders require the companies involved to present representatives to the BPO Inspection Division within three days to explain the circumstances of their non-compliance; BPO officials say that only 22 of the 177 companies shuttered for illegal online gambling over the past six months subsequently appeared for questioning.

Makati’s mayor has ordered city enforcement units to “keep a tight watch on business establishments, particularly IT firms that have been linked to illegal online gambling operations and employment of undocumented aliens.”

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