Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No 13, which sets out clear definitions as to what constitutes illegal online gambling, has officially come into effect.
The document essentially deems all online gambling sites to be illegal unless they have the explicit authorization of the relevant Philippines’ regulators. Under Duterte’s watch, PAGCOR will be responsible for issuing online gambling licenses, however only operators who provide services solely to customers located outside the Philippines will come into consideration.
The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) and the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) will all work alongside PAGCOR in determining who should qualify for a gambling license.
Executive Order No 13 also requires those authorities, as well as the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, to report their progress in shutting down illegal operations to President Duterte every six months.
