Online Casino Philippines Legal

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Legal Online Roulette In The Philippines Roulette may not be quite as popular as slots and blackjack are, but the game still ranks among the most popular casino games played online. There are multiple options for players who are looking for online roulette action in the Philippines, including traditional roulette and live dealer roulette. Land-based casinos, and betting outlets across the country. Locals are welcome to play at approved PAGCOR locations and online for some forms of gambling. Filipinos can also visit any of the numerous PAGCOR betting terminals across the country and are free to gamble online at offshore websites. The laws for online gaming in the Philippines are. The online casino and other gambling platforms licensed by Philippine authorities have a solid legal basis to cater to players outside of the country's limits. Yes, there are no statutes found in Philippine gambling laws that make it a crime for Filipino residents to play real money casino games online at legally sanctioned offshore online casinos. However, it is important to note that local residents are not allowed to play at online casinos that are based within the nation’s borders.

Internet gambling hasn’t been around too long in the grand scheme of things but technological developments have opened a window into Philippine legal online gambling. Interactive betting entertainment provides access to various forms of betting entertainment, including casino games, poker rooms, and sportsbook betting. These specific forms of online gambling have certainly gained momentum in recent years, but how do you know what forms of betting are legal for your region or which sites are legitimately licensed, regulated and reputable?

We have compiled this guide full of relevant information so that individuals seeking legally sanctioned online gambling services have everything they need to make informed decisions. If you are a Filipino resident or visitor interested in learning more about legal betting entertainment available online, you have come to the right place. Our team is made up of players and professionals with decades of experience in the industry. We will provide information about the regulations governing legal betting options in the Philippines, as well as make recommendations of industry-leading offshore gambling destinations that are legally licensed, regulated and compliance certified. Here we will talk about the different kinds of options that are offered, what’s legal, what’s trending, and other relevant information associated with online gambling in the Philippines.

Best Online Gambling Sites For Philippine Players

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Is Online Gambling Legal In The Philippines?

Yes, Filipinos can legally engage in real money betting from any licensed and regulated online gambling site from across the world that will accept their registration. It is not legal for any domestic betting sites to offer their services to residents of the Philippines. This regulation blocks the local sites from accepting Filipino residents but supports their participation in the international gambling market so that these destinations can generate revenue that benefits the nation’s government and local communities.

Which Filipino Gambling Laws Regulate The Industry?

The national gambling laws in the Philippines have evolved quite a bit between 1975 and 2007, allowing the nation to integrate a substantial gambling market into the region and provide gambling entertainment for both residents and visitors to the island nation. Starting with Presidential Decree 1067, which defined gambling for Filipinos and established the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Executive Order No. 13 cracks down on illegal gambling and clarifies that offshore online gambling is not illegal and the region has now embraced a healthy gambling industry. There were numerous amendments and executive orders that were enacted in between these two laws, but these two are the beginning and culmination of the current gambling regulations for Filipinos. Our guide to Philippine gambling laws can be a useful tool for further information about the legal aspects of gambling in the Philippines.

Forms Of Legal Online Gambling Permitted For Filipino Players

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Online Casinos

Online casino entertainment has become popular in the Philippines for several reasons. These virtual casino destinations are typically able to offer a wider selection of games than brick and mortar destinations, they allow free play options, and the land-based casinos cannot compete with the attractive bonus offers and promotions provided by online operators. There is also something to be said for 24/7 access from anywhere you have an internet connection. Check out our guide to Philippine legal online casinos for further information and to see our recommendations for the best online casino gameplay options.

Online Poker

Filipino players have access to offshore poker rooms that offer multiple formats and game types. Some of the popular variations of Philippine legal online poker play include Texas Hold’Em, Horse, Studs Poker and Omaha. The poker sites you find recommended in this guide also provide active tournament schedules and promotions, mobile gameplay options and substantial bonus offers.

Online Sports Betting

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Philippine legal online sports betting allows players to bet on a multitude of sports including but not limited to: soccer, boxing, basketball, and baseball. Live betting is also popular with sports fans and most online sportsbooks host an array of betting lines and wagering options. For our readers that are interested in betting on horse racing check out our guide to Philippine legal horse betting sites.

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games allow players to participate in land-based casino games from their personal computer or handheld device through the utilization of sophisticated web streaming technology. There are multiple live casino games that are available to play that feature a real-life dealer or croupier, some games that you will commonly encounter at our recommended online casinos are Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat.

Philippines Based Online Gambling Sites

With the proper license, it is legal to operate an online gambling site within the Philippines, however illegal to provide those services to domestic players. The Cagayan-Freeport Economic Zone is a hotbed for Asian-based online casinos since it is the only country in Asia to license and regulate online casinos. This gives players outside of the Philippines a sense of security knowing that these websites are tightly regulated by a government agency.

Can I Use Philippines Pesos When I Gamble Online?

While some online gambling sites will process transactions using the Philippines Peso (PHP), others do not. However, this never prohibits Filipino residents from being able to gamble online. Those sites that do not process PHP do offer conversion services. In addition, you can set up an e-wallet or cryptocurrency account with PHP. In today’s technology-driven world a pro-tip is to keep an e-wallet with a currency purse that you usually play with, also you can get some great sign-up bonuses for funding your account with a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash or Litecoin.

Deposit And Withdrawal Options

Online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks provide multiple online gambling deposit methods for Philippine residents as well as a selection of withdrawal options. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies are popular with online gamblers because it can be set up with any currency and used across the web while offering a safe and secure way to make a deposit or withdrawal. Electronic Wallets or e-wallets are also very versatile when it comes to different national currencies, including the PHP. This option allows you to create a digital wallet that you can fund using PHP and in turn use that e-wallet fund your online gambling account with a currency that the site uses. Individuals will also find a variety of other deposit and withdrawal options including credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards and vouchers, money orders, bank transfers or cashier’s check. These options usually support international currency conversion and can be beneficial for players who don’t want to keep an e-wallet or invest in cryptocurrency.

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On My Winnings When I Gamble Online?

A Philippine resident can be taxed on all income derived from within or outside of the country. Prizes and winnings over P10,000 are typically taxed at 20% for Filipino residents. It is common knowledge that players are to report online winnings on their income tax report.

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China is taking illegal online gambling sites emanating from the Philippines extremely seriously.

How seriously? The Chinese embassy in the nearby country issued a formal statement, and it’s expected to come up in a meeting this month between the country’s presidents.

It’s an interesting pushback on illegal gambling involving the highest levels of government.

Online gambling in China, at a glance

There is no shortage of gray or black market operators that do or attempt to serve China. Despite the country’s aggressive stance toward censoring everything, including the internet, it’s obviously still possible to gamble online in the world’s most populous country.

One particular segment of the online gambling market has attracted the ire of China: sites operating out of the Philippines. That’s partially because China considers online gambling sites that operate outside of the country to be illegal.

Online Casino Philippines Legally

A company set up specifically to serve the Chinese market — the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. — is what China is taking issue with proximately, however.

More from the Chinese embassy:

According to the Chinese laws and regulations, any form of gambling by Chinese citizens, including online-gambling, gambling overseas, opening casinos overseas to attract citizens of China as primary customers, is illegal. The casinos and offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and other forms of gambling entities in the Philippine target Chinese citizens as their primary customers.

And:

Second, the fact that a large number of Chinese citizens are lured into illegal gambling has resulted in an increase of crimes and social problems in China. In particular, some gambling crimes and telecom frauds are closely connected, which has caused huge losses to the victims and their families.

More than just illegal gambling

Online Casino Philippines Legal

But it’s more than that. If it were just illegal gambling sites operating in China, it probably wouldn’t have escalated to an international incident. A big part of the problem, as China sees it, is that Chinese nationals are largely the people working for these sites.

A large number of Chinese citizens have been illegally recruited and hired in the Philippine gambling industry. In many cases, the employers of Philippine casinos, POGOs and other forms of gambling entities do not apply necessary legal work permits for their Chinese employees. Some Chinese citizens are even lured into and cheated to work illegally with only tourist visas.

More from the Financial Times on the issue here.

Anyway, suffice it to say, China is not happy that the Philippines is both promoting online gambling in China while simultaneously using Chinese citizens to make it happen. They are also being used to operate online casinos in other countries; here’s an example in Vietnam.

Presidents of China, Philippines getting involved

The situation will likely get to the heads of state for both countries, according to a recent report:

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Saturday (Aug. 10) expressed confidence China’s concerns over online casinos in the Philippines catering to Chinese gamblers, which Beijing had declared as illegal, would be resolved by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet later this month.

That would likely be the highest level at which online gambling has been discussed in just about any country.

Would this ever happen in the US?

The problem of illegal online gambling is hardly unique to China. Dozens if not hundreds of offshore gambling companies serve the US despite the fact that federal and state laws don’t allow it (unless regulated, like in New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania).

The likelihood of this reaching the highest diplomatic levels in the US is slim, although the issue has been simmering as a trade dispute with at least one Caribbean nation for years.

The most likely place for pressure to come from would be from law enforcement, specifically the Department of Justice. The infamous Black Friday of 2011, when the DOJ seized the domains of some major online poker companies, is the last time there’s been major action on the online gambling front in the US.

With the rise of legal sports betting here, there’s at least more attention being paid to the issue of offshore gambling sites serving the country. But it’s still not close to getting the kind of attention that it is in China right now.

Dustin Gouker - Dustin Gouker has been a sports journalist for more than 15 years, working as a reporter, editor and designer -- including stops at The Washington Post and the D.C. Examiner. He has played poker recreationally for his entire adult life and has written about poker since 2008.