Philippines cracks down on illegal online gambling, arrests over 150 foreign nationals

Philippine authorities arrested more than 150 foreign nationals on Saturday in a raid on an illegal online gambling operation on the central island of Cebu, as part of a broader government crackdown on illicit gaming activities.

The operation, led by immigration agents and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, uncovered makeshift workstations inside a resort where dozens of people were allegedly involved in online gambling. Authorities identified at least three "scam farms" operated by foreign nationals, according to Winston Casio, a spokesman for the commission.

"We’ve seen enough evidence to be able to file a cybercrime offence, for facilitating cybercrime-related gambling, cybercrime-related qualified trafficking," Casio said during a press briefing.

The raid, which stemmed from a request by the Indonesian embassy, led to the arrest of 162 foreign nationals, including 83 Chinese, 70 Indonesians, six Myanmar nationals, one Malaysian, and two Taiwanese, according to local media reports. The foreigners will be temporarily detained pending deportation, the Philippine Immigration Bureau said in a statement.

"This will serve as a warning to those who might attempt to start illegal online gambling operations, which has already been banned by the President," said Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

The crackdown follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s announcement in July banning Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), which cater primarily to foreign gamblers. The ban was imposed amid growing concerns over the industry's links to crimes such as money laundering.