PAGCOR cracks down unlicensed online gambling services

As part of a crackdown on illegal online gambling firms operating in the country, a senior official with the Philippine Gaming Authority has said that several new targets are now under observation.

Senior vice president for security of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), Raul Villanueva, reacted to a raid that took place in Parañaque City, Manila, on Friday.

Alejandro Tengco, chairman of Pagcor, gave the order to ban online gambling, and this was followed by the operation, which was part of a coordinated effort to combat it.

Villanueva emphasized Pagcor’s dedication to collaborating with law enforcement agencies like the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in order to effectively tackle illicit online gaming businesses. He urged people to utilize reputable online gambling sites instead of illegal ones in order to safeguard Filipino gamblers, who are often the targets of these dishonest practices.

Villanueva went on to highlight Pagcor’s cooperation with the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, mentioning ongoing target surveillance.

The raid reportedly targeted individuals connected to the online gambling platform “tbb888” (picture courtesy of Pagcor), often referred to as “The Big Bet.” Prior to the raid, Pagcor said that these individuals had been monitored for a month. Twelve people are being held by the authorities on suspicion of engaging in illegal online gambling, and they want to file complaints with the Parañaque Regional Trial Court.

The arrests were made by the PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Capital Region Police Office, with Pagcor’s surveillance team on hand for the operation. According to a statement attributed to Mr. Tengco, authorities also seized a range of equipment, including computer sets, mobile phones, iPads, laptops, and flash drives.

Original story by: GGRAsia