In Philippines, Online Trolls Linked to POGOs
Philippine Rep. Robert Ace Barbers says malicious vloggers hired by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) are posting “fake news,” including personal smears, to discredit him and other public officials.
In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shut down the POGO industry following widespread allegations of criminal activity. Barbers heads the House of Representatives’ quad committee, which just helped wrap up a months-long probe into the outlawed operations.
That investigation tied POGOs to Chinese organized crime, which purportedly funded the operations. Evidence seized in multiple raids indicate POGOs were fronts for online scams, engaging in crimes such as kidnapping, torture, human trafficking and prostitution.
According to the Philippine Inquirer, last month Barbers presented documents to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that connect the vloggers to POGOs and the illicit drug trade. Among other things, the vlogs contended that Barbers and his brother, Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers, were themselves involved in drug dealing.
“These vloggers were well-organized and paid to ruin my name, my brother’s name and those of the quad committee members,” said Barbers, suggesting these were acts of vengeance. “Maybe their employers, POGOs and drug lords, are already hurting from the quad committee investigations.”
He asked law enforcement to “pursue appropriate criminal charges” against any identified suspects. The charges could include libel, sedition, false incrimination and “intriguing against honor” under the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Vietnam Sports Betting Needs Legislative Support to Grow
Vietnam could develop a lucrative sports betting industry if it amends the legislation that enabled it.
Decree 6, implemented in 2017, opened the door to legal betting on horse races, greyhound races and soccer. It also laid out a framework for sports betting operators. But experts at a Hanoi seminar in November say the legislation is vague, prohibitive and out of step with the times.
Decree 6 limits legal gambling to 20 pilot jurisdictions, instead of opening to bettors nationwide. It also caps bets at VND1 million (US$42). Moreover, it requires operators to demonstrate capital of at least VND1 trillion (US$42 million) for horse racing and football bets and VND300 billion for dog races, and requires that 5 percent of revenue go to the state (experts suggest 5 percent of profits).
The biggest barrier, according to the Tuoi Tre News, is that Decree 6 forbids mobile and online gambling. Business leader Nguyen Ngoc My, chairman of the Vabis Group, said iGaming is an “inevitable and irreversible strategic trend.”
Hoang Ngoc Nhat, chairman of Thien Phuc Joint Stock Company, said Vietnamese gamblers spend up to $10 billion annually, mostly on soccer. But most of that revenue now enriches offshore operators. He argued for business-friendly rules to keep that money and applicable taxes at home.
According to The Investor, the National Assembly Standing Committee has set 2025 as the deadline for the Government and the Ministry of Finance to amend the decree.
Indonesia’s New Government Fights Illegal Online Gambling
Indonesia’s newly installed government is using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and block illegal online gambling providers. Online gambling is strictly forbidden in the Muslim-majority country.
President Pabrowo Subianto took office in October, and installed Meutya Hafid as his minister of communication and digital affairs. Hafid then announced a 100-day agenda with four goals: to safeguard personal data, digitize government services, eradicate online gambling and make the internet safer for children.
Artificial intelligence is helping, said Hafid. “If we count from … the start of the new government,” the number of closed sites “has reached around 380,000,” including 300,000 illegal IP addresses and thousands of ads on i Meta, Google and Twitter.
The government has also enlisted “special cyber-patrols to detect sites and applications that contain gambling content,” she added.
According to ABC Asia, Indonesians lost an estimated RP327 trillion (US$20.5 billion) gambling online in 2023.
Kangwon Land Plans Major Expansion
South Korea’s sole locals casino is embarking on a major expansion.
Kangwon Land will add a new casino resort with hotel and other attractions in a capital investment project worth KRW2.5 trillion (US$1.9 billion).
According to the Korean Economic Daily, visitation to Kangwon Land has been hampered by its remote location, in the mountains of Gangwon Province. It is also dealing with a new rival in Mohegan Entertainment’s Inspire Entertainment Resort, which opened in March in Incheon.
Operator Kangwon Land Inc. is also looking ahead to future competition. Japan is planning to open a multibillion-dollar integrated resort in Osaka in 2030.
The Kangwon Land expansion, which will include cultural and healthcare facilities, is targeted for completion by 2032.
Star to Receive First AU$100 Million Tranche of New Debt Facility
Australia’s Star Entertainment announced Dec. 3 that it has met the requirements necessary to receive the first AU$100 million tranche of a new debt facility that was announced back in September. The company will receive the funds by Dec. 9. A second AU$100 million tranche will be made available next year, if additional requirements are met.
The company said in its ASX filing that “Under the terms of the facility, the proceeds of the Treasury Casino sale must be placed into escrow, resulting in a net increase in cash for the Company of approximately $37.1 million after fees.”
Malaysia Demands that Meta Ax iGaming Ads
Malaysia has asked Facebook parent Meta to remove content related to illegal online gambling.
According to Free Malaysia Today, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysians lost RM432 million (US$97.3 million) to Facebook scams in 2023. Of 250,000 pieces of content flagged by the government this year, more than 90 percent was linked to online gambling and fraud.
He also pointed out that Facebook pulled in RM2.5 billion in revenue from Malaysia during the same period.
Macau Could Welcome 35M Visitors by Year’s End
In January, Macau government officials announced a goal to attract 33 million visitors in 2024. As the year winds down, the chairman of the local Travel Industry Council says the SAR could exceed that goal by up to 2 million.
According to the Macao News, Andy Wu recently told TDM Radio the city could welcome 35 million visitors this year, 90 percent of the more than 39.4 million visitors who arrived in 2019 and 1 million higher than expected by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
