Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says fugitive casino/junket/online gambling operator Jack Lam can resume his local gaming operations provided he settles his outstanding tax obligations and stops trying to bribe local officials.

On Thursday, Duterte (pictured left) told reporters that Lam (on the right) had indeed sent “feelers” about returning to the Philippines, confirming Wednesday’s reports by Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa, who said Lam “will surrender” to address allegations of bribery and economic sabotage related to Lam’s Philippine gambling operations.

Duterte said Lam, who fled the Philippines just days before Duterte ordered his arrest, “would like to come back because he takes pity on the 6,000-plus Filipinos without a job.” Duterte’s two Philippine casinos – the Fontana in Clark Freeport and the Ford Ilocandia in Laoag – were shut down this week on Duterte’s orders.

Duterte said Lam’s gaming operations could resume only if he was willing to “settle his obligations,” which include paying back tax on the illegal online gambling operations that were run out of Lam’s Fontana property. Lam will also have to “let go of the original contract that allowed [Lam] to enjoy only 1%” gaming revenue tax rate rather than the 10% paid by other casino operators.