As mentioned before, the Filipino gambling landscape is highly regulated. Therefore, all gambling activities are anchored on special Acts and presidential decrees. Some betting acts and decrees define the Philippines' gambling framework. These include:
Republic Act 7922
The Republic Act 7922 of 1994 served to establish the Cagayan Economic Zone. This act also established the Philippine government regulatory agency CEZA, tasked with overseeing gambling activities within the special economic zone.
Republic Act 9287
The Republic Act came into effect in 2004. It was enacted by the Filipino Senate and the House of Representatives. This served to increase the penalties for illegal gambling activities within the country.
Republic Act 10927
This 2017 law provides specific anti-money laundering regulations for Philippines-based casinos, key among them being the keeping of gambling records for at least five years and the implementation of certain risk management policies. The Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is tasked with ensuring that casino operators comply with these regulations, and this often involves making random checks.
Executive Orders No. 13
This law, Authorized by President Roderigo Durtete in 2004, seeks to combat illegal gambling operations in the country. It also aims to endorse the state-run lottery and prohibit online casino operators from offering their services to Filipino players. In addition, this order defines illegal gambling as any activity that is not authorized by the respective casino licensing authority.
Besides these laws, the gambling industry is subjected to some executive or presidential decrees. Some of the presidential decrees in Filipino gambling laws include Presidential Decree No.1067-a, Presidential Decree No.1062, and Presidential Decree No.1869, adopted in 1978. 1982, and 1994, respectively. It is worth noting that most Filipino laws target operators and define gambling activities. Notwithstanding, no law expressly prohibits access to offshore online casinos, at least for now.