Online Betting Company In The Philippines
- Online Betting Company In The Philippines
- Online Betting Companies
- Online Betting Company In The Philippines Website
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The Philippines is in a weird place right now with the treatment of gambling. Real money casinos still operate relatively unmolested, but comments from President Duterte in mid-2016 suggested plans to take a hardline stance against online betting sites. A month later, he seemed to reverse course and suggest that online gambling may be allowed to resume if the government can adequately collect taxes on the industry.
Popular sites for sports betting in the Philippines include Bet365 Philippines, 22Bet, Bodog88, and Intertops. These sites offer generous bonuses and accommodate payment methods that are available. Any online gambling site licensed in the Philippines is restricted from offering its services to Filipinos. This has created a situation in which PAGCOR has a monopoly on land-based gambling but is cut off from its own market online. Cagayan Freeport and Online Gambling License.
Things are in a state of flux, but we will keep this page up to date as new developments manifest. In the meantime, we can provide a landscape view of the current legal situation for gambling.
Land-based casinos have been constructed in most major cities and residents are welcome to play table games, slot machines and poker at government-owned casinos. A limited form of sports betting is also offered through the government-run MegaSportsWorld.
This corporation hosts wagers on certain sports at local betting shops and through internet cafes across the country. Customers may also phone in wagers through the sportsbook’s telebetting service. It should be noted that MegaSportsWorld does not accept bets over the internet.
Online gambling also exists, although the government has always prohibited domestic companies from offering their internet wagering services to Philippine customers. The Cagayan Special Economic Zone licenses dozens of online betting sites but all sites registered there may only accept wagers from customers located in other countries.
Interestingly, there are no prohibitions against offshore betting websites serving the Philippines. If you would like to play casino games, bet on sports or play poker online, you must do so with a site NOT licensed in the Philippines. Here’s a look at a few sites that do accept Filipinos:
Best Philippines Betting Sites
Note: William Hill and many other betting sites no longer accept customers from the Philippines. Their reasons for doing so were related to Filipino licensing rules that restrict licensees from accepting local customers.
The Cagayan Special Economic Zone (aka Cagayan Freeport) is currently the only licensing jurisdiction in all of Asia. This makes it an attractive location for companies wishing to establish a foothold in the quickly-growing Asian gaming market. But because a Philippines license prevents companies from offering their services to locals, sites must stop accepting Filipinos in order to get a license. An increasing number of sites appear willing to make the tradeoff.
As far as alternatives go, it is important to choose a site that is licensed by some other respectable licensing authority. Just because you can’t play at locally-licensed Philippines betting sites, it doesn’t mean you should play with companies that have no license whatsoever. There are plenty of other legitimate jurisdictions in the world that host safe betting.
The online casinos recommended on this page meet all the requirements of a safe place to play. They have licenses in other parts of the world, operate in a fair manner and are financially stable. You’ll find sports betting, casino games and poker at each of these sites.
Gaming Law in the Phillipines
There are two sets of gaming laws in the Philippines. Most of the country is regulated under one set of rules defined by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). PAGCOR is both a regulator and operator of gambling throughout the country. It is fully government-owned and acts as a monopoly for all forms of gaming inside the Philippines.
PAGCOR operates land-based casinos located throughout the country as well as the sportsbook we all know as MegaSportsWorld. None of these games are offered online although MegaSportsWorld does offer its wagers at internet cafes and its phone-in service. PAGCOR also licenses the many e-gaming cafes around the country.
In another part of the country, Cagayan Freeport is situated an Asian gambling destination, and that’s exactly what it is today. The zone works with international gambling companies to develop and promote the area as a tourism and gaming hotspot. Private companies operate casinos and resorts in Cagayan Freeport under the watchful eye of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).
Cagayan Freeport also addresses online gambling as it is the only licensing body in Asia for internet gaming sites. At one point, upwards of 80 companies were licensed by PAGCOR to offer internet casino games, poker and sports betting. The catch was always that companies registered in Cagayan Freeport were strictly forbidden from offering their games to citizens of the Philippines.
As the number of operators licensed by the authority attested, a license from PAGCOR was highly attractive. It offered access to the wider Asian gambling market even though it excluded the Philippines. The licensing body in Cagayan Freeport has changed somewhat in recent years, but it remains to this day an attractive licensing jurisdiction – more on that below.
It is undoubtedly frustrating to companies to have to block out a nation of more than 100 million people, but they clearly find it worthwhile even to this day.
President Duterte’s 2016 Gambling Crackdown
In August of 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte unexpectedly declared war on online gambling. He vowed to “destroy” the industry and immediately began ordering PAGCOR to suspend the licenses of 124 local e-gaming cafes. In Dueterte’s own words, “online gambling must be stopped.”
He pointed to the social ills associated with gambling as his main motivation for setting his target on the industry, particularly “oligarchs” who profit off the activity while everyday citizens suffer. In some comments, he even mentioned PhilWeb Chairman Roberto Ongpin by name as an example of the oligarchs who are “embedded in government.”
President Duterte later made an abrupt about-shift with a statement indicating that online betting may return if the government finds a better way to secure its share of the profits earned by gaming operators. If the government comes up with a better tax solution and electronic gaming cafes are located far away from churches and schools, they may open the country to online betting once again.
In fact, a good number of e-gaming cafes do remain in operation. The Filipino did go on to revoke even more licenses at a later point, but only for shops that were located too closely to churches and schools. President Duterte and his supporters have since made the point that their aim isn’t necessarily to completely shut down gambling, but rather to ensure operators are not taking advantage of the poor and vulnerable members of society.
Cagayan Freeport Reopens for Online Betting Licenses
More recently, the Cagayan Special Economic Zone revamped its licensing process and standards for internet gambling sites. After issuing new standards, PAGCOR began accepting licensing applications from the world’s major online betting sites.
The new licensing standards are tougher and more expensive than before, but 35 licenses have been granted to date. These new licenses do however function in a manner similar to the old licenses. They permit full-fledged betting sites as long as those sites do not accept Filipino customers. As it was in the past, Filipino gambling licenses permit operators to accept customers from the rest of the world but to restrict all Filipinos from participating.
Government officials announced prior to the new licensing system that their aim was to provide better regulation over the industry and to make up for lost tax revenue resulting from President Duterte’s crackdown of local e-gaming parlors. The new licensing system calls for a $40,000 license application for sports betting sites and then another $150,000 licensing fee once approved.
PAGCOR will oversee the industry and monitor licensees for compliance with all gaming laws. Among other expectations, Filipino betting sites will be required to proactively block local residents, prevent minors from playing and offer verifiably fair games.
Online Betting Company In The Philippines
Why You Should Use Asian Bookies
There are many benefits to using top Asian betting sites. Across the board, the biggest Asian bookies offer outstanding service and brilliant perks for their punters. These include:
- Better Odds – Many Asian bookies operate on lower margins than European bookies. For example, on coin flip bets, UK bookmakers often offer odds of 91/100 (bet 10 to win 19.1). Asian bookmakers often offer the same bet for 19/20 (bet 10 to win 19.5).
- Live Betting – Typically, Asian betting sites are specialists at in-play football betting. Asian bookmakers regularly offer more odds and markets than any of their European or North American focused counterparts.
- Asian Handicaps – Asian handicap betting is very popular, especially in football where the draw is a fairly common outcome. In these markets, Asian betting sites offer a boost or reduction to the number of goals scored by a team that is added to their actual total in a match.
For example, in Premier League football, Southampton and Leicester City has -1 / +1 Asian Handicap odds. This means that Southampton have a one goal disadvantage, whilst Leicester have a one goal advantage prior to the start of the game. For a Southampton win to pay out, Southampton need to win by a 2-goal margin. However, for a Leicester City win to pay out, a draw or a Leicester win by any margin would be enough. Asian handicaps often offer much better value than standard 1×2 outright markets and also make betting more exciting because it removes the possibility of a draw.
- Smaller Markets – At Asian bookies the most popular betting markets are no doubt soccer markets such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and UEFA Champions League. However, at Asian betting sites you’ll also find a plethora of Asian football competitions and smaller, regional competitions in less popular sports such as field hockey.
Overall, Asian bookmakers offer better odds, handicap betting and more markets for both pre-match and live betting.
Is it Legal to Bet Online with Asian Bookmakers?
Yes, it is, depending on where you are playing from. Each country or region has its own gambling laws and Asia is no different. The laws vary greatly across the region although it’s becoming more common that people are legally allowed to bet online.
Online Betting Companies
In some countries like Indonesia or China, there is a ban on online gambling. However, other countries such as the Philippines and Macau offer much more freedom for online bettors.
Most punters in Asia can enjoy online betting just like other people across the world by using offshore sites. Alternatively, you can safely access betting sites from different territories by using a VPN.
The most important thing is to check with your preferred Asian betting site before you sign up to check that they accept players from your country. If you want more information about sports betting in your country, choose from the list below:
The Best Asian Bookies 2021
Depositing at Asian Bookies
The deposit methods at Asian bookies vary by country. Residents of China can generally deposit with their Chinese debit card, other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia can deposit with their home bank account via either online banking or at an ATM.
Thailand residents have a large selection of deposit options. In Vietnam the opposite is true and deposit options are generally limited to MoneyGram, Western Union and local e-wallets.
For many other countries including Singapore, UK, and most of Europe e-wallets are available. Here are some of the most common depositing methods at Asian betting sites:
Debit/Credit card
Most Asian bookies accept debit or credit card to fund your account. It’s convenient and makes it easy to keep track of your funds.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most recognisable e-wallets in the world and many Asian betting sites accept this method. PayPal makes it easy to transfer funds from across different betting accounts and has an outstanding record of safety and security. Other commonly accepted e-wallets include Skrill and Neteller. PayPal does have restrictions and is not available in every country. Be sure to check with the site you intend to use to check if they allow PayPal as a banking method.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are becoming more and more popular and are now accepted by more and more Asian bookmakers. Cryptocurrencies provide anonymity and security that is enjoyed by sports bettors across the world.
Every Asian bookmaker is slightly different and they each accept different banking methods. Be sure to check the site you want to use has your preferred banking option before depositing.
Withdrawals at Asian Bookmakers
One of the top reasons to wager with Asian bookies is fast, free payouts. Most Asian betting sites offer direct bank transfer withdrawals (often on the same or next business day) to players regardless of location.
Often if you are in Asia, this will show on your bank statement as a cash deposit. That’s right; despite dealing with Asian betting sites with hundreds of thousands of accounts, many of these companies send a local runner/agent to a branch of your chosen bank to complete your withdrawal request as a cash deposit! This is a huge plus for anonymity.
Asian Odds Formats
Online Betting Company In The Philippines Website
Asian bookies generally support four different odds formats which are, decimal odds (sometimes called Euro or European Odds), Hong Kong Odds, Indonesia Odds and Malay Odds. No matter which display format you choose the potential payout on a win is the same; the reason for different display options is so punters can view the odds in the format they are most comfortable with or used to dealing with.
Decimal Odds
In this odds format odds are always listed as a positive number, usually with decimals, and represent the total return (stake + win) a winning ticket will pay for each unit staked. For example, decimal odds of 1.91 mean a bet of $1.00 would win $0.91, plus returned stake of $1.00.
Hong Kong Odds
This one the simplest odds format to deal with. Hong Kong odds are always presented in a positive number usually with decimal points. These odds represent how much a bettor will be paid, in addition to stake, for each unit wagered.
So, for example if the odds are 0.710 you’re betting on a semi-heavy favourite and will get paid $0.710 in winnings for each $1.00 staked. If the odds are 2.340 you’re betting on an underdog and will be paid $2.34 (plus your stake) for each $1.00 risked if the bet wins.
Indonesian Odds
Indonesian odds are very similar to American odds but they display as 100’s instead of decimals. For example, +134 American is 1.34 Indonesian and -250 American is -2.50 Indonesian.
Negative Indonesian odds show how much you have to bet to win a single unit, so -3.45 odds mean bet $3.45 to win $1.00 profit. When Indonesia Odds are positive it shows what the winnings would be on a single unit stake. So, for example, +1.430 in Indonesian odds is risk $1.00 to win $1.43.
Malay Odds
Malay odds are expressed as either a negative or positive number that is never greater than 1. Unlike all other odds formats that use positives (underdogs) and negatives (favourites), Malay odds are reversed. Negative means underdog and positive means favourite.
When the odds are negative this represents how much you need to bet to win 1 unit (example: -0.750 means bet $0.75 to win $1). When the odds are positive this represents how much you will win on a 1-unit stake (example: 0.670 means $1 bet to win $0.67).
No matter what odds format you use, payouts are the same. For example, betting odds in decimal format 1.90 is the equivalents of Hong Kong odds 0.90, Indonesian odds -1.111, and Malay Odds 0.90. The difference is in how the odds display.
If you are ever confused by the odds offered at an Asian betting site, you should be able to change your settings to your preferred choice. Alternatively, you can use our SBO.net odds converter.
Asian Bookmakers UK
The benefits of using an Asian bookmaker aren’t just open to Asian punters. Many Asian bookies also accept players from across the world, including the UK.
If you’re looking for an alternative to UK bookies, why not check out our list of recommended Asian betting sites listed above. You can enjoy all the perks offered by these site including Asian handicaps, excellent odds and if you join a new site, a generous welcome bonus.
How We Find Legal, Safe Asian Bookies
Despite there being different gambling regulations across the continent, at SBO.net the only Asian bookmakers we recommend are licenced, safe and secure.
Our team has researched the market and found the very best Asian betting sites for you to enjoy. All our recommended Asian bookies have:
- Brilliant reputations with their customers.
- Encrypted websites that keep you safe.
- Certified gambling licences.
Asian Bookies FAQs
It depends on what country you are in. Many Asian bookies accept players from countries like the Philippines or Macau but it’s best to check before you sign up.
Sports Betting Company
Across Asia, many different odds formats are used including decimal, Hong Kong, Malay and Indonesian.
Asia is an extremely diverse continent, especially when it comes to sporting interests. This is reflected in sports betting too, but the most popular choices are football, basketball and cricket.
Increasingly yes. Betting, in general, is very popular and as a continent, Asia has a rich history of gambling. It’s not becoming more and more common for Asians to bet on sport online.
