Philippines: 12 arrested for alleged illegal online gambling

A joint operation took place in Parañaque City.

The Philippines.- Philippine authorities have conducted a raid in Parañaque City, resulting in the arrest of 12 people suspected of involvement in illicit gambling. The operation, carried out by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) took place in an upscale subdivision known as BF Northwest.

PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco confirmed the arrests, highlighting the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies. He said: “The raiders were armed with a warrant to search, seize and examine operations of computer data against the suspects who were caught red-handed while operating the illegal online gaming platform https://www.tbb888.com or the Big Bet.”

The site offered games such as slots, live casino and e-sports. Authorities seized 11 computer sets, 21 mobile phones, 2 iPads, 6 laptops and flash drives.

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PAGCOR senior vice president for Security and Monitoring Cluster Raul Villanueva said cases will be filed against the suspects before the Parañaque Regional Trial Court. He said: “The operation was part of our unified efforts to intensify the fight against illegal online gambling because we have a marching order from PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco to put a stop to these illegal activities.

“We will continuously collaborate with law enforcement authorities such as the PNP and even the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency to put a stop to these. We advise the public to stop patronizing illegal online gaming sites and instead play on legal platforms to protect themselves. Unfortunantely, most of the victims of these illegal sites are Filipino bettors.

“We are also working closely with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center under the Department of Information and Communications Technology because we have a lot more targets under surveillance.”

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