Casinos in Philippines

Introduction

In this review we will look back on the gambling history of the Philippines and provide you with the most relevant information about their gaming scene today.

Stick around as we will take a stroll down the archipelago in search of some of their most popular gaming spots and offer you with insight which may prove quite useful should you opt to check them out…

…but first

The Philippines or as it is officially known, the Republic of the Philippines, is an island country located in Southeast Asia.

The archipelago consists of 7,641 islands which cover a vast area of 300,000 square kilometers in the western Pacific Ocean. The land is divided in 3 main geographical divisions Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao while being bounded by the South China Sea to the west, Philippine Sea to the east and the Celebes Sea to the south.

The Philippine Republic is very rich and diverse both in cultures and ethnicities and it is considered to be one of the most populous countries of the world, currently standing at 12^th place. The city of Manila is the country’s capital while the most populated one is Quezon City, both of which are within Metro Manila, capital region and largest metropolitan area of the Philippines.

For quite some time the Philippines was and still is one of the more popular tourist’s destinations mainly because of its beautiful islands, lush green mountains, exotic beaches, grand volcanoes, world-class diving spots and unique wildlife.

Of course the main topic of this review is their gambling scene and we should mention that the Philippines are slowly but surely starting to become a gaming center in Asia. More and more investors are placing their capital into the hotel and casino industry making Manila one of the gambling hotspots of the world…

…but, how did it all start?

First legal casino opened in 1977 in Manila bay and was famously located on a three – deck ship, which unfortunately burned down 2 years later. Unbothered by this unlucky string of events and being persistent, the Filipinos made sure to put Metro Manila on the map, making it one of the world’s most well-known gambling destinations in more recent times.

The popularity doesn’t seem to be losing its momentum as we are seeing many punters from around the globe visiting the country and making reservations in over 20 of the land – based casinos in the Metro Manila region.

The fact that almost all of these hubs are located in luxury resorts and lavish hotels coupled with all the beauties the Philippines has to offer, makes the experience that much remarkable and unique as opposed to some other popular places from around the globe.

History of Gambling

Our readers might find it interesting that the Philippines have a long tradition of gambling because it has been legal since the sixteenth century when it was first introduced by the Chinese. You see this country has always been a hub for merchants congregating here from around the world in search of business and trade so it isn’t a coincidence that some kinds of leisure activities, such as gambling, found their way and stayed.

Over the centuries there was a constant battle to limit the gambling in Philippines, first by the Spanish and then by Americans. In the end, authorities realized that this was futile and realized that gaming is something that cannot be controlled, so instead they decided to make sure that it should be used for increasing the state budget and surely some new regulations were in order.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

The entirety of gambling in the Philippines falls under the arms of Philippine Entertainment and Gambling Corporation (PAGCOR), a regulatory body founded in 1976 which is solely owned by the state.

PAGCOR is responsible for all the licensing operations in the Philippines amassing 50% revenue which goes directly to the national budget. Some of the areas which are not under the PAGCOR jurisdiction are the economic zones of Cagayan and Freeport, so these regions come with their private hubs only accessible to tourists.

What is interesting about this fact is that there really aren’t any differences legal wise when it comes to physical gambling in Philippines and the above-mentioned regions, but where they differ is the online aspect of gaming.

By that we mean that, for example in Cagayan, iGaming online casinos are open only to non – residents or tourists while Filipinos are strictly prohibited from using the services in most parts of the republic.

Popular Spots and Games

As we mentioned earlier, players will be able to make their stay in over 20 of popular gambling establishments over the Manila region located in luxury resorts and hotels. Most notable are Solaire Resort & Casino as well as Casino Filipino and Fiesta venues which can be found over the island.

The casinos we mentioned are places where players can safely engage in legal gaming activities for entertainment purposes and to make money. As far as the games go, you will be able to enjoy all of the well - known gaming classics such as some of the more Popular slots found on the market and table games like Poker, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and more.

Players can even try their luck in the Sportsbook places and bet on some of their favorite teams from the world of popular sports as well as place bets on Horse races.

Lotteries are also very popular in the Philippines but mainly the Sweepstakes, which is a game where the winner receives the entire prize pool. Other than the mentioned, gamblers can also enjoy Lotto 6/42, Megalotto 6/45 and Superlotto 6/49 games.

Good to know is that Lotteries are one of the rare forms of activity where PAGCOR has no jurisdiction over as it falls solely under the Philippine Charitable Office (PCSO).

Banking

Punters will be able to conduct their banking operations inside these resorts mainly with methods such as Debit/credit cards, Electronic wallets, Prepaid Cards and Bank Wire Transfer, so as you can see the options are plenty.

Furthermore, we found information that some of these venues even accept crypto, which means that they are continuously improving and trying to keep up with times. We are certain that this is something that many crypto – lovers will surely enjoy.

To Conclude

As you can see, the Philippines truly deserves the title of gambling mecca and we hope that we’ve managed to provide you with some insight about this popular hotspot should you decide on visiting the exotic island.

On this page you can also find other venues which we didn’t cover in this review and get yourself fully acquainted with everything they have to offer, so feel free to do just that!