Philippine Police Arrest Over 2,500 Individuals Involved in Illegal Gambling

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported that it had arrested 2,573 individuals for illegal gambling over the past two months and confiscated bets amounting to PHP 568,992 (approximately $9,800).

Philippine Police Report Successful End to Anti-Illegal Gambling Operations

According to a statement from the regional police, the arrests and seizures resulted from 1,119 anti-illegal gambling operations conducted between June 2 and July 23 across the five districts under the NCRPO. Of the total, 270 arrests and PHP 97,160 (approximately $1,675) worth of bets were linked to alleged involvement in illegal numbers games.

In total, police confiscated PHP 568,992 (around $9,800) in gambling proceeds. Authorities emphasized that activities such as unlicensed cockfighting, jueteng (an illegal numbers game that is widely played in the Philippines, especially in rural and lower-income urban areas), bingo, and numbers-based lotteries remain prohibited under Presidential Decree 1602, which imposes stricter penalties for illegal betting operations.

The NCRPO urged the public to report unauthorized gambling activities through the 911 emergency hotline, encouraging community involvement in efforts to combat underground betting. Police officials also confirmed that similar enforcement operations will continue throughout the year as part of wider crime suppression initiatives.

What’s the State of Gambling in the Country

The Philippines, as a whole, has had and still has a complicated relationship with gambling. Gambling is partially legalized and regulated in the country, with the government allowing and overseeing several types of gambling activities through different agencies. However, betting on other games and activities remains illegal. Despite this, they are still widely popular.

As we already mentioned, jueteng is one very popular game played in the Philippines, especially in more rural areas. functions as a local form of lottery and remains widely popular in the Philippines due to its simplicity and accessibility. It is believed to have been introduced during the Spanish colonial period, likely by Chinese entrepreneurs, much like cockfighting. The game typically involves selecting a combination of two numbers from 1 to 37. Small numbered balls, known as bolitas, are placed in a basket and shaken before two balls are drawn in the presence of witnesses. Estimates of jueteng’s gross revenue vary, but it is believed the game can generate as much as $500 million annually.

Online casinos have also grown in popularity in the country over the past few years. While this could lead to better oversight and regulation, if done correctly, gambling online can also be more dangerous for the average user. Fortunately, it seems that more and more Filipinos are growing aware of the danger that online gambling may cause, according to a recent survey.

Despite that, many voices are also being raised against the practice of online gambling. Some of these voices include influential social institutions such as the country’s catholic church. Recently, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) criticized online gambling and called for its complete ban.

Gambling in the Philippines remains a hot topic of debate both among political figures and the general public.