People choose a destination for traveling based on different criteria. They usually get attracted to something that meets their requirements and expectations. For example, people that love to swim would go to places with beautiful beaches and decent climates. On the other hand, people that love to gamble would go to gambling destinations where a lot of casinos are present.
Speaking of gambling destinations, most people will probably think of Las Vegas. Indeed, there are the most luxurious and biggest gambling venues you can find in the world. The question is – are you limited to just that location?
The good news is that you can pick between more than just one place. One of the options that we strongly recommend is the Philippines. This country has the potential to become the next casino destination. While gambling laws are a bit specific, you will also manage to enjoy online casino games within the country.
If you want to find the best casino sites in the Philippines, your research should start here. That way, you will manage to enjoy some amazing bonuses and promotions, a wide range of games developed by successful software developing companies, etc.
Anyway, we know that you expect us to give you a list of reasons why you should go to certain destinations. Because of that, we prepared an explanation of the gambling industry within this lovely country. Let’s find out more details!
Legalities of Online Casino in the Philippines
We do know that online gambling in the Philippines can be quite a pleasant experience. But amazing bonuses and a variety of games should not be the only features that you should focus on. All the foreign players that plan to have fun this way should focus on finding legal online casinos. That way, their data and winnings will be 100% safe.
So, is this industry regulated? For starters, we have to say that the popularity growth of this industry started in 2017. According to our research, nearly 85 thousand square meters of office space was used by gambling offices, premises where customer support of different offshore casinos work, etc. At that moment, the government realized they must do something to regulate and control the entire industry and make it completely safe for Filipino casino players.
The organization that provides licenses to offshore online casinos is PAGCOR. For those that do not know, this acronym stands for Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. This regulatory body is owned by the country, and it regulates the entire market by issuing licenses to online offshore casinos as well as private brick-and-mortar casinos.
Legal online casinos are proud of this approval. Because of that, they will usually place it in some visible place on their website. If you don’t see it on the website, that means your data and money are not safe. All casinos in the Philippines go through a strict testing process. If only one detail is missing, the regulatory body won’t provide the license.
What about Brick-and-Mortar Casinos?
An almost identical thing counts when we talk about traditional casinos. First and foremost, we have to highlight that PAGCOR itself does have a couple of casinos within the country. More precisely, they are the owners of nine different casinos where tourists like you can play different games like blackjack, slots, poker, etc.
On the other hand, there are also private casino businesses where you can enter as well. The only requirement is that you are older than 21.
Are There Any Other Regulatory Bodies?
The organization of the gambling industry and online gambling in the Philippines is becoming better and better. That is one of the reasons why we believe this is going to be a gambling heaven one day. PAGCOR is not the only organization that regulates the entire gambling market. There are two more bodies – the Philippine Racing Commission and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Let’s say a few more words about them!
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (or PCSO) is a state agency that is focused on sweepstakes and lottery games. They offer multiple variants of these games such as Lotto 6/42, SuperLotto 6/49, Sweepstakes Tickets, etc. These are not typical gambling games, but they can be pretty interesting. On the other hand, things with Philippine Racing Commission are probably clear. This regulatory body regulates all the horse races organized within the country.
To conclude, every aspect of the gambling industry within the country is regulated. You, as a tourist, do not have to worry about anything. Your only duty is to organize your funds properly, be aware of the skills you possess, and improve the mistakes you regularly make. That’s the path that only professional and responsible gamblers decide on!
The Traditional Casinos in the Philippines
We do not want to send the wrong message here. There are many exciting things to do in the Philippines. But, visiting some of the biggest and most popular casinos certainly can bring you a dose of entertainment.
Generally speaking, most casinos you can find are located in Manilla. Places that we would like to recommend are:
- Solaire Resort and Casino
- Waterfront Manila Pavilion
- Okada Manila (maybe the main pick, but we will let you decide)
- City of Dreams, etc.
All the places we mentioned are not just casinos. They contain a lot of hotel rooms, restaurants, and places where people can have fun with live music, drinks, food, etc. But, if the crowds bother you, you can always enjoy online casino games at some legal online casinos we recommended at the beginning of this article. Both options are amazing!
Most Popular Casino Games among Filipinos
Filipino casino players can now enjoy a wide range of games thanks to licensed online casino sites. It is hard to say which one is the most popular. However, if you spend time with passionate gamblers, you will notice they often enjoy similar games.
Online slots as well as slot machines in traditional casinos are pretty popular among people. The reason why they are so popular is their simplicity and low requirements. A single bet can cost you only a couple of pennies. Apart from that, there are no complex rules that make gamblers develop some advanced strategies.
Apart from that luck-based game, people also like to play table games. That especially counts when we talk about blackjack and roulette. Fortunately for players, these online casino games come with RNG which makes all games random. That ensures that each player has equal chances in every moment to ensure winnings.
Conclusion
The regulations, as well as a big number of options, make the Philippines the next gambling destination. It is noticeable that people are already visiting this country because of that reason. But it seems that the same trend will continue in the future. Because of that, if you love gambling, we suggest you enjoy online gambling in the Philippines or visit some of the gambling venues.