Philippines President Duterte Wants to Close all Forms of Online Gaming
Published December 22, 2016 by Florin P
President Duterte follows through with his plan of stopping the proliferation of online gambling in the Philippines.
The president of the Philippines has spent a lot of time in the spotlight recently after unleashing a brutal crackdown on drug dealers. Mr. Duterte now has his sights locked on the less harmful world of online gambling, but intends to be just as decisive. In a recent conference, he announced his intention of stopping all online gaming firms. During his speech after the ceremonial signing of the national budget, he made it clear that he won’t make any compromises.
Concerns About Government Oversight
The inability of the government to regulate the Internet gaming industry has prompted the president to announce the immediate closure of all online gaming firms. Duterte said that in the absence of a mechanism allowing the authorities to regulate this booming industry, a firmer stance is required. Many of the companies allowing Filipinos to play their favorite casino games over the Internet are located beyond national borders. This puts them outside the reach of the government and that’s a major concern.
As far as he’s concerned, the benefits of online games are virtually nonexistent. Furthermore, Duterte told the media that his country doesn’t benefit at all from this massive industry. In the wake of his statements, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II told the media about the investigations pending on online gambling in the Philippines. This is a continuation of the policy announced by the president earlier this year, to stop the proliferation of Internet casinos during his administration.
Fighting a War on Two Fronts
Duterte was heavily criticized for his heavy-handed methods in fighting the war on drug dealers. When it comes to online gambling, he proved to be just as determined and willing to follow through with his plans. In November, 1316 illegal Chinese workers were taken into custody following the arrest of gaming tycoon Jack Lam. He was charged with economic sabotage and bribery after the authorities discovered that he was running an online gaming facility.
