The world of online casinos in the Philippines can sometimes be overshadowed by a mixture of misinformation and myths. However, finding a real online casino in the Philippines does not have to be a guessing game.
Here are five important facts about the online casino industry in the Philippines. Make sure you read them all and get a better understanding of the industry at large before deciding which online casino to spend your precious time and money on.
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Certain Games are Banned
A real online casino in the Philippines will never feature Jueteng, Last Two and Masiao as these games are banned by law. Prior to the first casino being licenced in 1976, illegal casinos and underground bookmaking operations dominated the Philippines. Illegal games such as Jueteng, Swertes, Masiao and Last Two grew in popularity over this period. In particular, Jueteng, an illegal numbers game, enjoys the favour of locals especially those located in rural areas who don’t have access to reputable casinos. The Philippines’ newest president, however, has ushered in a revitalised campaign that aims to eliminate all forms of illegal gambling.
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Sole Asian Country to Licence Online Casinos
The Philippines is the only Asian country that can provide a legitimate licence for a real online casino. The industry is managed and controlled by two regulatory bodies, namely the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). PAGCOR is government owned and controlled and oversees and licences the majority of the nation’s land-based casinos, poker clubs, betting shops and bingo parlours.
CEZA was established in 1995 and acts as the economic authority of the Cagayan Economic Zone which licences online gambling in the Philippines. A real top online casino Philippines is that the CEZA licenced cannot offer its services to Filipinos but is allowed to operate and service the greater Asian online market. Gambling establishments in the Cagayan Freeport Zone used to exclusively be reserved for foreign tourists, although this rule has since been relaxed to include Filipino hotel guests who wish to patronise gambling establishments in the area.
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Philweb Established Exclusively for Filipinos
Philweb in partnership with the regulatory body, PAGCOR is the only option that Filipinos have at their disposal when accessing a real online casino. For online play, Filipino locals are restricted to e-Game cafés, which are land-based facilities that offer online casino games on connected terminals which are monitored PAGCOR.
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Second Biggest Contributor to the Economy
PAGCOR is the second largest contributor to the economy in the Philippines, second only to the government tax department. Despite the fact that Filipinos are prohibited from accessing Philippine-based online casinos from home, their yearly contribution to the industry is reportedly estimated at 1.38 billion Filipino Pesos.
PAGCOR employs upwards of 11,000 Filipinos throughout a variety of their gambling facilities, including land-based, large-scale casinos and e-Game cafés that offer real online casino games.
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Home to the Most Tightly Regulated Casinos
Industry regulation in the Philippines is tightly controlled which generally means that casinos are reliable and well-run. As part of the licensing agreement, casinos are required to have enough capital to cover obligations and dictates that all winnings and account balances must be paid out promptly. PAGCOR itself runs and owns many of the casinos in the Philippines, adding to the peace of mind and sense of security that these government- licenced casinos provide. Playing at a real online casino in the Philippines makes a lot of sense, especially for those players who are concerned about security and reliability.