RP Gaming Industry: Are Some Malls becoming Casino’s?

October 3rd, 2007 · No Comments

Gambling, albeit legal in many places in person and on-line in some countries - is still a vice. Yet, one need not go too far to find it. Most of the Malls in the capital boast now of ‘real time’ slot machine like - Computer based bingo machine parlors - some are quite packed - licensed by PAGCOR - the twenty or thirty machines boast of large progressive jackpots in the hundreds of thousands of pesos. It’s legal, legit, and, often well run. Major mall chains have them, and they seem to do quite well - the owners - players of any game of chance learn the house wins most of the time - the hard-way!

It can be an addiction and can and should have support groups for those who want to stop or control the urge to ‘go for broke’: most who gamble heavily I’ve seen end up that way - broke.

Gambling in the Philippines is a huge business - both the legal and illicit.

Aside from lottery, casino, slot machine and poker machine parlors and ‘membership club’ casinos. Now, the linked bingo halls and bingo machine parlors that are in nearly every major shopping mall in the Philippine capital rake in large amount for PAGCOR . The state run gaming company.

So, the wild days of illegal ‘video carera’ machines and illegal gaming parlors are long gone really - they can’t compete- but they do still exist - but- mostly with 18 gaming casino’s in metro manila scores of venues from off track betting, to on-line ’sabong ‘ cockfighting gaming. Manila and other major cities like Cebu and Angeles and Olongapo and Subic -

A recent study I saw shows that the Philippines boasts of more gaming machines than Macao. Which is supposed to be Asia’s gambling capitol.

But, resources for problem gaming are rare - there is no local chapters for example of Gamblers Anonymous - Anyhow for those interested here’s a link:

Gamblers Anonymous Official Home Page

A fellowship support group for compulsive gamblers.
www.gamblersanonymous.org/ - 4k - Cached - Similar pages
20 Questions - www.gamblersanonymous.org/20questions.html
Recovery Program - www.gamblersanonymous.org/recovery.html
Gamblers Anonymous … - www.gamblersanonymous.org/mtgdirTOP.html
Q and A - www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html
More results from www.gamblersanonymous.org »

Well, its no strange thought that the number one group fighting versus on-line gaming is based in Las Vegas - if there’s anything casino’s hated the prospect of as well as the US government was the idea that gambling could be done at home and nearly untaxed on the Internet.

A RICO case has been filed by the US Attorneys office in Utah - versus a group based in ironically in Nevada and Utah- engaged in web based gaming- with ties to the Philippines has been allegedly busted in the US state of Utah - the crime was engaging in internet based gambling.

[]”..Las Vegas Residents, Utah Companies Tied To Internet Gambling
MyFox Utah, Ut - Defendants also channeled Western Union wire transfers through the Philippines. The 34-count indictment includes charges of racketeering conspiracy, … ” []

The USA banned Internet gambling for very good reasons - aside from it does not like the competition - legal casinos pour hefty tax revenue for the Federal Government - primarily the concern was that kids and teenagers were heavy into the on-line games.

Credit card companies also were very happy to see the sites go banned and be able to stem unpaid charges often denied to those of card holders who often claimed they had been ID grabbed. Unless they won… Also in the mix is the very problematic situation of underage gaming.

Tags: asia · mikeinmanila · philippines