Duterte order brings clarity to Philippines online gambling

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order that brings badly needed clarity to the country’s online gambling market.

On February 2, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 13, which is intended to beef up the government’s fight against illegal gambling while clarifying the extent of authority for the regulation and licensing of online gambling operations.

The order begins by noting that there are multiple gaming licensing jurisdictions within the Philippines, including the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, as well as the country’s national regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The order goes on to note that “confusion with regard to the jurisdiction and scope of authority of the different gaming regulators contributes to the proliferation of illegal gambling and gaming.” The order seeks to ensure that regulators “act within the bounds of their respective mandates.”