Philippines' President Orders Online Gaming Industry ShutdownIndustry In Limbo After Another Change Of Mind By Rodrigo Duterte |
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Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has flip-flopped again on web gambling, reportedly saying late last month that he wants the entire industry shut down.
According to a report from Rappler.com, Duterte said that the industry “has no use” for the Philippines. His comments follow ones made in August where he said that the sites would be allowed if they paid their taxes correctly and there were additional regulations on the businesses.
In June, he said that he wanted the activity stopped, which sent shock waves through the domestic industry. Duterte took office this past summer.
Such a ban reportedly would cost the government more than $200 million a year in revenue.
Prior to Duterte’s comments shortly before Christmas, the government had indicated it was getting tougher on online gambling. In November, the government detained more than 1,000 Chinese nationals in raids on call center-like facilities set up to run online gambling.
The crackdown on internet betting comes at a time when the overall casino gambling market in the country is growing at a rapid rate. The state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. recently said that through the first nine months of 2016 gaming revenue was $2 billion, up nearly 20 percent year-over-year. Pagcor also runs online gaming.
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