94 arrested over illegal raffles in the Philippines
Police say the operation offered multi-million peso prizes in Tarlac.
The Philippines.- The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has arrested 94 people at an event centre in San Vicente, Tarlac, in connection with an alleged illegal online and offline raffle operation. The group is said to have been promoting prize draws on social media and in person without a permit.
Among those apprehended were three alleged financiers and operators, 43 head distributors, 19 distributors, 11 agents and 18 administrative staff. Police estimated that more than 1,000 people attended an event on Sunday, where prizes included a Toyota Fortuner worth PHP 4.5m (US$79,800), a residential lot and a wedding package.
“This was clearly a fraudulent operation,” said Brigadier General Bernard Yang, acting chief of the PNP-ACG, during a press briefing held at Camp Crame today. “They had no documents proving the legitimacy of the raffle, and evidence suggests that only insiders were selected to win the major prizes.”
According to police, participants purchased raffle tickets for PHP 20 each. The group used physical raffle drums (“tambilos”) for the draws, which were livestreamed on social media platforms and marketed as charity events. An investigation began in February 2024 through cyber patrolling and confirmed that the operation lacked authorisation from key regulatory bodies, including the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, PAGCOR, the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The organisers also did not hold a valid business license from the local government.
“This has been going on for at least five years,” Yang said. “They’ve held monthly raffles across various provinces — including Nueva Ecija, Baguio, Pangasinan, and Bicol — deceiving thousands with fake promises of huge prizes.”
Those arrested face charges under Presidential Decree No. 1602 (Illegal Gambling), as amended by Republic Act No. 9287, in relation to Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175). Each suspect was issued a recommended bail of PHP 48,000. Authorities say more charges could follow.
“Under the law, everyone present at an illegal gambling event – including bettors – may be liable,” Yang stated. “But we had to focus first on the key players. Processing 1,000 people at once is simply not feasible.”
