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Introduction
Despite being one of the most popular casino games in the world, online poker Philippines has received a mixed response from officials in the Philippines. The game’s legal status has been unclear for many years now, but there are clear signs that things are changing for the better. In fact, some experts predict that online poker will be legalized throughout the country within five years!
A Brief History of Online Poker Philippines
Online poker has been around for over 40 years. It is a game of skill and not chance, much like chess or backgammon. The first online gambling game was played on bulletin boards in the early 1980s by computer programmers and hackers who were looking for something to do during their off hours at work. In 1994, PokerStars was launched as one of the first real money poker sites with its headquarters located in Costa Rica where it still operates today as one of the largest online gaming sites in operation today with over 100 million registered players worldwide (including myself).
How Online Poker Came About
You might be asking yourself: “But how did online poker come about?” Well, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (okay, it was 1997), a man named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker main event and became an overnight celebrity. The next year, he was featured on ESPN’s broadcast and his story inspired thousands of people across the world to play poker for money online.
This led to an explosion in popularity–and with that came new regulations from governments around the globe regarding whether or not playing poker for real money was legal or not.
The Rise and Fall of Online Poker
The rise and fall of online poker has been a tumultuous one, with industry leaders constantly changing their approach to the game. The popularity of online poker peaked in 2006, when it was estimated that over 1 million people played regularly. However, the following year saw an 80% drop in players due to new legislation by Congress that made it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process payments for online gambling sites.
What is Behind the Recent Boom in the Philippines?
The Philippines is a very poor country, with a per capita income of only $3,800. The average income in the Philippines is less than half that of neighboring Indonesia ($8,000) and Thailand ($11,000). But despite this poverty, online poker has become extremely popular there over the past few years. Why?
Why is online poker so popular in the Philippines? It’s not because they have more money than other countries; they don’t. And it’s not because they speak English (they do); plenty of other countries speak English too. There are several reasons why this game has taken off there so quickly:
- The Philippines has an extremely large population of young people–around 34% are under 25 years old–and these young people love playing games like video games and cards together at internet cafes called “game rooms” or “net shops.” These places often offer free Wi-Fi connections which make them perfect places for playing card games online like poker against each other from home instead of going out somewhere else first before returning home later on their own time schedule instead!
Inconsistent Legal Framework
The Philippines is a country with a lot of laws. The legal framework is inconsistent and not clear. It’s also not consistent with the international framework, which means that it doesn’t conform to international standards of legality or morality.
The government does not give any clear answers about whether or not online gambling is legal in the Philippines; however, there are some indications that suggest this activity might be illegal:
- In 2003, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 349 prohibiting all forms of gambling except for lottery games run by government-owned corporations like Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
- In 2009, then Justice Secretary Leila De Lima issued Department Order No 34 stating that electronic gaming machines (EGMs) must be registered with PAGCOR before they can be used anywhere in the country–including casinos owned by PAGCOR itself!
Issues with the Lottery Fund
In the 1990s, the Philippine government was facing a crisis. Its lottery fund had grown to over $5 billion USD, but the government needed to use this money for other things like paying off debts and funding public services.
So they did what any responsible organization would do: they decided that instead of buying more tickets or investing in other forms of gambling (like casino games), they’d just keep spending millions every year on lotto tickets until all the money was gone!
Conclusion – What Next?
The legal status of online poker in the Philippines is still unclear, but in our opinion it’s unlikely that it will be banned completely.
In fact, there are even rumors that the government may allow players to play for real money at some point in 2019 or 2020. If this happens then we expect that many more people will start playing online poker and their numbers could reach 100 million within two years!
The legal status of online poker in the Philippines is still unclear, but in our opinion it’s unlikely that it will be banned completely.
- The legal status of online poker in the Philippines is still unclear, but in our opinion it’s unlikely that it will be banned completely.
- There are many benefits to online poker, such as the fact that it’s available 24/7 and you can play from anywhere in the world.
Conclusion
In our opinion, it’s unlikely that the legal status of online poker in the Philippines will change. This is because there are too many stakeholders involved who have a vested interest in keeping things as they are.
