China to Philippines: Ban all online gambling

NOVEMBER 23, 2018. The National Capital Region Office arrested 87 Chinese nationals who were employed in an illegally operating gambling hub inside the Ortigas business district in Pasig City on Thursday. (PHOTO FROM NCRPO)

MANILA, Philippines — After the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) suspended the issuance of new applications for Philippine off-shore gaming operators (Pogos), China has called on the Philippines to take it a step further with a ban on all online gambling operations in the country.

READ: Pagcor: No more Pogo applications, for now

“We have also taken note of the Philippine government’s announcement and appreciate it. We hope the Philippines will go further and ban all online gambling,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

He was asked for a comment on the move of the Philippine government to suspend the issuance of new online gambling licenses.

Geng then expressed hope that the Philippines “would strengthen law enforcement with China and jointly tackle criminal activities including online gambling and cyber fraud.”

“This will help create an enabling environment for the development of bilateral relations and peace and stability in the region,” he added.

Earlier this month, China asked the Philippine government to “punish” Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), casinos and other forms of gambling entities illegally recruiting Chinese citizens.

READ: China wants Philippines to ‘punish’ POGOs, casinos illegally recruiting Chinese workers 

In a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, it noted that a large number of Chinese citizens had been illegally recruited to work in the Philippine gambling industry with some “even lured into and cheated to work illegally with only tourist visas.”

It  also said that a “huge amount” of Chinese funds are also “illegally flown out” of China and into the Philippines through cross-border money laundering.

This, said the Chinese Embassy in Manila “undermines China’s financial supervision and financial security.”  /muf