Is Online Gambling Legal In Philippines
Posted : admin On 4/9/2022- States Where Online Gambling Is Legal
- Can You Gamble Online In Philippines
- Online Gambling Law In Philippines
Twelfth Congress
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eight day of July, two thousand three.
In November 2020, casinos in the Philippines received permission to accept online bets to ease the financial pressures of the coronavirus. The key to understanding the legal landscape of online gaming in the Philippines is to draw a clear dividing line between the country as. The Legality of Gambling in the Philippines. In the Philippines, most forms of gambling are legal and strongly regulated. PAGCOR (the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) is the country’s government-owned department that focuses on managing the gambling sector. None of the laws mentioned above directly prohibit domestic access by Filipino players to legally licensed offshore online casinos. It is recommended to only use legally sanctioned Philippine online casinos to enjoy the best features, deposit methods, security protocols.
REPUBLIC ACT No. 9287 April 2, 2004
AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL NUMBERS GAMES, AMENDING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1602, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:
Section 1.Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. It is likewise the policy of the State that the promotion of social justice shall include the commitment to create economic opportunities based on freedom of initiative and self-reliance.
Hence, the State hereby condemns the existence of illegal gambling activities such as illegal numbers games as this has become an influential factor in an individual's disregard for the value of dignified work, perseverance and thrift since instant monetary gains from it are being equated to success, thereby becoming a widespread social menace and a source of corruption.
Towards this end, the State shall therefore adopt more stringent measures to stop and eradicate the existence of illegal numbers games in any part of the country.
Sec. 2.Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
a) Illegal Numbers Game. - Any form illegal gambling activity which uses numbers or combinations thereof as factors in giving out jackpots.
b) Jueteng. - An illegal numbers game that involves the combination of thirty-seven (37) numbers against thirty-seven (37) numbers from number one (1) to thirty seven (37) or the combination of thirty-eight (38) numbers in some areas, serving as a form of local lottery where bets are placed and accepted per combination, and its variants.
c) Masiao. - An illegal numbers game where the winning combination is derived from the results of the last game of Jai Alai or the Special Llave portion or any result thereof based on any fictitious Jai Alai game consisting of ten (10) players pitted against one another, and its variants.
d) Last Two. - An illegal numbers game where the winning combination is derived from the last two (2) numbers of the first prize of the winning Sweepstakes ticket which comes out during the weekly draw of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and its variants.
e) Bettor ('Mananaya', 'Tayador' or variants thereof). - Any person who places bets for himself/herself or in behalf of another person, or any person, other than the personnel or staff of any illegal numbers game operation.
f) Personnel or Staff of Illegal Numbers Game Operation. - Any person, who acts in the interest of the maintainer, manager or operator, such as, but not limited to, an accountant, cashier, checker, guard, runner, table manager, usher, watcher, or any other personnel performing such similar functions in a building structure, vessel, vehicle, or any other place where an illegal numbers game is operated or conducted.
g) Collector or Agent ('Cabo', 'Cobrador', 'Coriador' or variants thereof). - Any person who collects, solicits or produces bets in behalf of his/her principal for any illegal numbers game who is usually in possession of gambling paraphernalia.
h) Coordinator, Controller or Supervisor ('Encargado' or variants thereof). - Any person who exercises control and supervision over the collector or agent.
i) Maintainer, Manager or Operator. - Any person who maintains, manages or operates any illegal number game in a specific area from whom the coordinator, controller or supervisor, and collector or agent take orders.
j) Financiers or Capitalist. - Any person who finances the operations of any illegal numbers game.
k) Protector or Coddler. - Any person who lends or provides protection, or receives benefits in any manner in the operation of any illegal numbers game.
Sec. 3.Punishable Acts. - Any person who participates in any illegal numbers game shall suffer the following penalties:
a) The penalty of imprisonment from thirty (30) days to ninety (90) days, if such person acts as a bettor;
b) The penalty of imprisonment from six (6) years and one (1) day to eight (8) years, if such person acts as a personnel or staff of an illegal numbers game operation;
The same penalty shall likewise be imposed to any person who allows his vehicle, house, building or land to be used in the operation of the illegal numbers games.
c) The penalty of imprisonment from eight (8) years and one (1) day to ten (10) years, if such person acts as a collector or agent;
d) The penalty of imprisonment from ten (10) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years, if such person acts as a coordinator, controller or supervisor;
e) The penalty of imprisonment from twelve (12) years and one (1) day to ten (10) fourteen (14) years, if such person acts as a maintainer, manager or operator; and
f) The penalty of imprisonment from fourteen (14) years and one (1) day to sixteen (16) years, if such person acts as a financier or capitalist;
g) The penalty of imprisonment from sixteen (16) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years, if such person acts as protector or coddler.
Sec. 4.Possession of Gambling Paraphernalia or Materials. - The possession of any gambling paraphernalia and other materials used in the illegal numbers game operation shall be deemed prima facie evidence of any offense covered by this Act.
Sec. 5.Liability of Government Employees and/or Public Officials. - a) If the collector, agent, coordinator, controller, supervisor, maintainer, manager, operator, financier or capitalist of any illegal numbers game is a government employee and/or public official, whether elected or appointed shall suffer the penalty of twelve (12) years and one (1) day to twenty (20) years and a fine ranging from Three million pesos (P3,000,000.00) to Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) and perpetual absolute disqualification from public office.
In addition to the penalty provided in the immediately preceding section, the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office shall be imposed upon any local government official who, having knowledge of the existence of the operation of any illegal numbers game in his/her jurisdiction, fails to abate or to take action, or tolerates the same in connection therewith.
b) In the case of failure to apprehend perpetrators of any illegal numbers game, any law enforcer shall suffer an administrative penalty of suspension or dismissal, as the case may be, to be imposed by the appropriate authority.
Sec. 6.Liability of Parents/Guardians. - The penalty of imprisonment from six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year or fine ranging from One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) to Four hundred thousand pesos (P400,000.00) shall be imposed upon any parent, guardian or person exercising moral authority or ascendancy over a minor, ward or incapacitated person, and not otherwise falling under any of the foregoing subsections, who induces or causes such minor, ward or incapacitated person to commit any of the offenses punishable in this Act. Upon conviction, the parent, guardian or person exercising moral authority or ascendancy over the minor, ward or incapacitated person shall be deprived of his/her authority over such person in addition to the penalty imposed.
Sec. 7.Recidivism. - The penalty next higher in degree as provided for under Section 3 hereof shall be imposed upon a recidivist who commits any of the offenses punishable in this Act.
Sec. 8.Immunity from Prosecution. - Any person who serves as a witness for the government or provides evidence in a criminal case involving any violation of this Act, or who voluntarily or by virtue of a subpoena testificandum or duces tecum, produces, identifies, or gives testimony shall be immune from any criminal prosecution, subject to the compliance with the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1732, otherwise known as Decree Providing Immunity from Criminal Prosecution to Government Witnesses and the pertinent provisions of the Rules of Court.
Sec. 9.Prosecution, Judgment and Forfeiture of Property. - Any person may be charged with or convicted of the offenses covered by this Act without prejudice to the prosecution of any act or acts penalized under the Revised Penal Code or existing laws.
During the pendency of the case, no property or income used or derived therefrom which may be confiscated and forfeited shall be disposed, alienated or transferred and the same shall be in custodia legis and no bond shall be admitted for the release of the same.
The trial prosecutors shall avail of provisional remedies provided for under the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure.
Upon conviction, all proceeds, gambling paraphernalia and other instruments of the crime including any real or personal property used in any illegal numbers game operation shall be confiscated and forfeited in favor of the State. All assets and properties of the accused either owned or held by him/her in his/her name or in the name of another person found to be manifestly out of proportion to his/her lawful income shall be prima facie presumed to be proceeds of the offense and shall likewise be confiscated and forfeited in favor of the State.
Sec. 10.Witness Protection. - Any person who provides material information, whether testimonial or documentary, necessary for the investigation or prosecution of individuals committing any of the offenses under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 herein shall be placed under the Witness Protection Program pursuant to Republic Act. No. 6981.
Sec. 11.Informer's Reward. - Any person who, having knowledge or information of any offense committed under this Act and who shall disclose the same which may lead to the arrest and final conviction of the offender, may be rewarded a certain percentage of the cash money or articles of value confiscated or forfeited in favor of the government, which shall be determined through a policy guideline promulgated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).
The DILG, the NAPOLCOM and the DOJ shall provide for a system of rewards and incentives for law enforcement officers and for local government official for the effective implementation of this Act.
States Where Online Gambling Is Legal
Sec. 12.Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DILG, DOJ, NAPOLCOM, and other concerned government agencies shall jointly promulgate the implementing rules and regulations, as may be necessary to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 13.Separability Clause. - If for any reason any section or provision of this Act, or any portion thereof, or the application of such section, provision or portion thereof to any person, group or circumstance is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions of this Act shall not be affected by such declaration and shall remain in force and effect.
Sec. 14.Amendatory Clause. - The pertinent provisions of Presidential Decree No. 1602, in so far as they are inconsistent herewith, are hereby expressly amended or modified accordingly.
Sec. 15.Repealing Clause. - The provisions of other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
Sec. 16.Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
FRANKLIN DRILON | JOSE DE VENECIA JR. |
This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2547 and House Bill No. 6575 was finally passed by the Senate and House of Representatives on January 27, 2004 and February 4, 2004 respectively.
OSCAR G. YABES | ROBERTO P. NAZARENO |
Approved: April 2, 2004
GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President of the Philippines
The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation
Are you a Filipino interested in online gambling sites? If so, you’ve found the
right spot. We’ve built this page to bring you all of the information you need
to know about the best Philippines gambling sites. Our goal with this page is to
help you find the perfect website for your unique needs.
To start things off, we’ll provide you with our recommended Filipino gambling
sites below. Following, there will be more information to expand your knowledge
of online gambling. Some of the things you’ll find include details on
Philippines gambling laws, frequently asked questions, and website reviews.
Those of you ready to dive in now should get started with our chart below.
We’ve researched and identified the websites below as the best places for
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Filipino online gambling experience if you end up wagering on one of these operations
highlighted below. You can see more about why we picked these options above all
others in another section on this page.
| Rank | DE Gambling Site | Deposit Bonus | Products | Get Started | |
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There’s a chance you’re not in a spot right now where you’d like to begin scoping out or selecting an online gambling website. If you’re new or just
looking to learn more before proceeding with a selection, be sure to keep scrolling below. We’ve packed this page with all of the details you need to know
to get started. Once you’re ready to investigate our recommended top Philippines betting sites, simply circle back to the chart above.
Why You Can Trust Our Recommendations
Understandably, you might be wondering why you should trust our recommendations. In this section, we’ll provide you with a behind the scenes
look at our process of picking the list of suggestions above.
In total, we consider over ten different criteria that help us determine if these Filipino online gambling sites are a top-notch operation or not. We investigate things
such as their reputation, customer support, deposit options, bonuses, and more.
If we found any flaws in one of our potential considered websites, we’d toss them off our list and continue searching for the cream of the crop.
One of our most vital criteria is that of your safety. Unfortunately, online gambling can be risky if you wager your real money on an untrustworthy website.
Due to this, we’ve made sure that our list of suggested best Filipino gambling sites only showcases operations that we trust 100% to protect you, your private
details, and your funds.
Finally, there’s one last bit of information you should know. Here, we never allow gambling operations to buy their way onto our recommendations list.
Instead, spots must be earned by an operation proving they are one of the best of the best for Filipino players. Our goal of practicing this is to ensure we
bring you an honest and accurate representation of the top online betting sites in the Philippines.
How Can Filipino Players Deposit Online?
In this section, we wanted to give you an idea of the different ways you might be able to fund your online gambling account. Below, we’ve added a
collection of some of the more common forms of deposit methods available to Filipino players.
If you see an option or two above that looks good to you, then you’ll want to find a Philippines gambling site that provides the deposit method you desire.
Unfortunately, not all operations accept the same forms of banking options. Be sure to locate a legitimate Filipino gambling site that allows you to bank in
the formats you most prefer. Some online casinos in the Philippines also offer PayPal options for some users.
Below, you’ll find a link to our page that’s all about different deposit options for online gambling websites. On this page, we’ll fill you in on more
details about the methods listed above as well as other options available around the globe. To visit this page, just click on the link below.
Filipino Gambling Site Reviews
Are you interested in learning more about our suggested best Filipino online gambling sites? If so, this is the section for you. Below, you’ll find links to
our complete reviews of each one of our recommendations. In these reviews, we’ll give you a full download of everything the website has to offer. You’ll get to
see details about their customer service, gambling options, withdrawal speeds, and much more. You can also click on the “all gambling site reviews” page if
you’d like to see some of the other in-depth reviews we’ve created for other online operations.
What Are the Gambling Laws in the Philippines?
Can You Gamble Online In Philippines
At a high level, gambling is mostly legal in the Philippines. For land-based
casinos and sportsbooks, the majority of the country falls under state-owned
Philippine Amusement and Gambling Corporation (PAGCOR). If you live in this
region, then your only legal choice for gambling in person is to use one of
these state-owned operations.
Outside of the PAGCOR region, you’ll find the Cagayan Freeport region. Here,
there’s a collection of legal gambling operations that are not state owned.
However, these gambling establishments can only provide services to tourists.
Unfortunately, Filipino players can’t wager here.
When it comes to online gambling, residents of the Philippines are free to
gamble online with one catch. The catch is you can only gamble on websites that
are foreign. Thanks to this, Filipino players have a massive assortment of
gambling sites to choose from, which allows them more access than many other
players from around the globe.
Are you interested in reading more about Filipino gambling laws? Then be sure
to check out the link below. On this page, we’ll give you a more in-depth look
at the gambling legislation impacting residents of the Philippines.
Online Gambling Law In Philippines
Philippines Online Gambling FAQ
Are you still looking for some answers after checking out the information
above? If so, then be sure to review our collection of frequently asked
questions about Filipino gambling sites below. To view the answer to one of
these questions, just click on the question itself.
How Can I Place My Online Wagers?
If you sign up with any one of our recommended top Philippines gambling sites above, you’ll find a variety of ways to place your wagers. Up first, you can use a desktop or laptop computer. However, you can also benefit from the mobile-friendliness of each one of our selections. Thanks to this, you can quickly place your wagers using a tablet or smartphone. Using one of these two mobile devices is the most convenient way for most folks to place bets.
Which One of the Suggested Filipino Online Gambling Sites Should I Select?
You’ll be in good shape if you choose to work with any one of our recommended top Philippines gambling sites. If you’re having a tough time deciding which one you should work with, try finding the one that brings the most to the table that matters to you. To see some ideas on things you may want to consider and view other tips on how to pick the right site, click on the link below.
Is It Easy to Get Started?
Yes! If you’re interested in gambling online, you can be up and running in as little as 10 minutes in many cases. To get started, you’ll need to select the gambling site of your choice. Once that’s complete, you’ll sign up with them. In most cases, this takes just a few minutes to get them the details they need. Then, before you can place any wagers, you’ll need to fund your account. So you can begin betting nearly instantly, be sure to use an instant funding method like Neteller or Bitcoin. After that, you’ll be all set to start your online gambling adventures!
Do I Have to Use Multiple Online Gambling Sites?
No. You’re able to gamble online using just one website if that’s how you’d like to proceed. In fact, many folks do this as long as they find a trusted operation that allows them to do all of their gambling in one convenient location. However, if you’re a fan of sports betting, you might consider using multiple gambling websites so you can find the best deal on your wagers by shopping your lines before placing bets.
What If I’m Not a Filipino?
If you live somewhere outside of the Philippines, don’t miss the link below. On this link, we’ll show you our recommended gambling sites for other countries. While some of our suggested websites above may allow you to play there, you’ll be better off using an operation that is best suited for folks from your country. To visit this page now, click on the link below.
Conclusion
We appreciate you reading our page about Philippines betting sites. If you
were looking to find the perfect online gambling site for your needs, we hope
that we were able to point you in the right direction. For those of you that
haven’t stopped by before now, don’t miss out on all our other free gambling
guides on our website. By using the main menu, you can scope out the wide
variety of things we can offer you. From site reviews, game guides, and sports
betting tips, we’ve got you covered! Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with
all of your future wagers!