Gambling in the Philippines
Gambling in the Philippines has been current since the sixteenth century,[1] and is still prevalent in the nation today. Presently, it takes on different legal and illegal types found almost throughout the archipelago. The government handles gambling through the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) that aims to regulate and operate games of chance, and to create government funds,[2] but in addition, there are other public and private agencies that manages specific kinds of gambling. Specifically, casino gaming under PAGCOR is necessary to the country’s tourism and revenue. The Philippines has more casinos than Macau, with twenty located in Metro Manila alone.
Before the Spanish colonization.,[1] gambling is thought to have been within the Philippines. Although there are no specific records when gambling was initially practiced in the archipelago, it’s possible that a few forms were introduced by the Chinese in the late nineteenth century. Due to the proximity of both countries, many local Chinese would go to the Philippines for both business and profit, engaging in various trades and actions. [4][5] On Magellan’s voyage to the Philippines, it was noted in the accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, he had already witnessed bets being put on cockfights when his ship came in Palawan in 1521.
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