Explore Online and Live Poker in the Philippines

Online Poker Legislation in the Philippines

Filipino residents are now technically free to access legal online poker in the Philippines through sanctioned offshore gambling sites. Philippine gambling laws restrict locally based gambling operators from offering their services to locals. That being said, the Cagayan Freeport region has its own gambling laws, and is in the early stages of licensing gambling companies, even though they would not be able to offer play to Philippines residents.

There is a real effort by the government to fight against underage online gambling. Operators found guilty of allowing minors on their platforms are to be sanctioned with imprisonment from 5 to 10 years and financial fines up to PHP 10 million (approximately $230,000). The law also states that “the penalty of imprisonment from 5 years to 10 years or a fine of PHP 100,000 (approximately $23,000) or both shall be imposed upon any parent, guardian, or person exercising moral authority or ascendancy over a minor, ward, or incapacitated person, who induces or causes them to commit any of the offenses punishable under the proposed law.“

Since the election of President Rodrigo Duterte, the situation of online poker in the Philippines has become a bit uncertain. As he declared war against online gambling, PAGCOR refused license renewals for over 280 internet cafes and sports books used by Filipinos. Since then, no other initiative has been taken.

To this day, poker players still have access to all major poker sites. The following payments are widely accepted: credit/debit cards, Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Dash, Litecoin, Ethereum), wire transfers, cashier’s cheques, e-wallets, prepaid options. Deposits through Skrill / Neteller may not be possible on certain sites.

Mobile data in the Philippines isn’t quite reliable depending on the region and the time of the day. A solid Wi-Fi connection is recommended.

Live Poker Legislation in the Philippines

In the Philippines, casinos have been open to locals and foreigners since a 1976 presidential decree which created the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The 100% state-owned PAGCOR is responsible for licensing the nation’s gambling operations, and runs 13 casinos across the country, with 50% of the revenues going straight to the National Treasury. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is a very big contributor of revenue to the Philippine government and employs over 11,000 people. It is, however, not the only player in the industry; other companies are able to offer land-based gambling in this country as well.

There are currently four gambling jurisdictions in the country. In addition to PAGCOR and its new Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) licenses; the PCSO, CEZA, and APECO are authorized by the government to administer some forms of gambling.

This is quite an unusual situation since PAGCOR regulates their smaller competitors, but so far, the arrangement has worked quite well in the Philippines.

Live Poker Venues in the Philippines

Live poker is popular in the country with over 20 poker rooms offering cash games and live tournaments on hundreds of tables, located in next to 60 casinos. Since there are no laws about how many table games a casino can offer, many of these poker rooms are quite large. Also, one of the upsides of having casinos regulated by PAGCOR is that they apply the same rake rules. It is 10% of the pot capped at PHP300 in 25/50 games, PHP400 in 50/100 games and PHP500 in 100/200 games. Additionally, many casinos have a no tip policy. PAGCOR is also vigilant concerning cheating; players found cheating are blacklisted nationwide.

No Limit Hold’em (NLHE) is widely available, but you can also find some other games such as Omaha or Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC). Although there are 33 cities with gambling facilities in the Philippines, Manila is definitely the center of the poker scene. There, Resorts World and Solaire usually get the highest limits (PHP200/400 – $4/$8) whilst clubs like Metro Card Club hosts smaller games (PHP 50/100). The other two poker destinations in the Philippines are Angeles and Cebu, the 2^nd largest city. In Angeles City, you will find two main poker rooms on the Walking Street: Wild Aces and Double Aces. Concerning Cebu, your best bet is the Waterfront Casino.

PAGCOR’s biggest project to date is the Las Vegas-style complex in Bay City, Metro Manila called “The Entertainment City” which occupies 8km² of the Manila Bay area and is home to international resort & casino brands like City of Dreams Manila, Resorts World Bayshore, Solaire Resort & Casino, and the newly built Okada Manila & Westside City. Expected to open in 2020, Entertainment City will offer 5,000 hotel rooms, enough to accommodate well over a million visitors each year.

The Philippines are very popular when it comes to international live events. It is home to APL, APT and APPT stops, with the addition of their own domestic tour, the Philippine Poker Tour.