Poker in the Philippines & Manila: Playing Live and Online
The rise of poker in the Philippines began in early 2006 with the establishment of a poker room at PAGCOR’s airport casino. Initially, this was the only casino offering Texas hold’em poker. But after the opening of Metro Card Club, the first physical poker room in the Philippines, many similar venues were opened one after another. However, real popularity came with the launch of the Philippine Poker Tour, a local tour sponsored by PokerStars. Seeing the response and number of poker players in the archipelago, the international brand decided to host the inaugural Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) tournament in August 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Casino in Manila. This event put the Philippines on the global map of poker destinations. The Asian Poker Tour (APT) promoted this fact in 2008 with an event in the Philippines.
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Since then, the poker community has really boomed, especially since PokerStars and Poker King Club have made Manila their new base. More and more international poker players are flocking to the Philippines to compete in prestigious tournaments such as the APPT, Asian Poker Tour (APT) and World Poker Tour (WPT) Philippines.
In addition to this burgeoning popularity in the poker world, through CEZA, the Philippines also has a reputation for having some of the most favorable online gambling licensing and regulatory jurisdictions in Asia. Therefore, some online poker sites operate directly from the Philippines.
The Philippines has the largest number of casinos in Asia after Macau. The casinos should generate $6 billion in gross revenue in 2018, ranking the country fourth in the world and becoming one of the key regions for global gambling activity.
Live Poker Legislation in the Philippines
Since a presidential decree in 1976 established the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), casinos in the Philippines have welcomed both locals and foreigners. PAGCOR, a state-owned entity, holds the responsibility of licensing the nation’s gambling operations and operates 13 casinos nationwide, with half of the revenues being directed to the National Treasury. Being a significant revenue contributor to the Philippine government, PAGCOR also provides employment to over 11,000 individuals. However, PAGCOR is not the sole player in the industry; other companies are also permitted to offer land-based gambling services in the country.
Currently, there are four gambling jurisdictions in the Philippines. Alongside PAGCOR and its new Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) licenses, the government has authorized the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), and the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) to oversee certain forms of gambling activities.
This arrangement is somewhat unique as PAGCOR regulates its smaller competitors. Nevertheless, the system has proven to be effective in the Philippine context.
Live Poker Venues in the Philippines
Live poker enjoys widespread popularity in the Philippines, boasting over 20 poker rooms scattered across nearly 60 casinos, offering both cash games and tournaments on a multitude of tables. Given the absence of specific regulations dictating the number of table games permitted in a casino, many of these poker rooms are sizable in scale. A notable advantage of PAGCOR-regulated casinos is the uniform application of rake rules, where a 10% rake of the pot is imposed, capped at PHP300 for 25/50 games, PHP400 for 50/100 games, and PHP500 for 100/200 games. Moreover, several casinos uphold a no-tipping policy, and PAGCOR maintains strict vigilance against cheating, with offenders facing nationwide blacklisting.
While No Limit Hold’em (NLHE) remains ubiquitous, alternative games like Omaha and Open Face Chinese Poker (OFC) are also on offer. Although gambling facilities are spread across 33 cities in the Philippines, Manila stands out as the epicenter of the poker scene. Major venues like Resorts World and Solaire typically host high-stakes games (PHP200/400 – $4/$8), whereas establishments like Metro Card Club cater to smaller stakes (PHP 50/100). Angeles City and Cebu, the second-largest city, are also noteworthy poker destinations. In Angeles City, prominent poker rooms along the Walking Street include Wild Aces and Double Aces. Meanwhile, the Waterfront Casino is a preferred choice for poker enthusiasts in Cebu.
PAGCOR’s flagship endeavor, “The Entertainment City,” situated in Bay City, Metro Manila, is reminiscent of Las Vegas-style complexes. Occupying 8km² in the Manila Bay area, it hosts internationally renowned resort and casino brands such as City of Dreams Manila, Resorts World Bayshore, Solaire Resort & Casino, and the recently constructed Okada Manila & Westside City. With an anticipated opening in 2020, Entertainment City is poised to provide 5,000 hotel rooms, catering to an annual influx of well over a million visitors.
The Philippines serves as a prominent hub for international live poker events, featuring stops for APL, APT, and APPT, in addition to its indigenous tour, the Philippine Poker Tour.
Online Poker Legislation in the Philippines
Playing online poker in the Philippines has become a viable option for Filipino residents, thanks to the accessibility of legal offshore gambling sites. Local gambling laws prohibit domestic operators from catering to locals, but there’s a loophole in the Cagayan Freeport region, where authorities are in the process of licensing gambling companies, albeit without access for Philippine residents.
The government has intensified efforts to combat underage online gambling, with severe penalties for operators allowing minors on their platforms. Sanctions include imprisonment ranging from 5 to 10 years and hefty fines up to PHP 10 million (around $230,000). Moreover, the law holds parents, guardians, or individuals with moral authority accountable for inducing minors into such activities, subjecting them to imprisonment or fines.
Since President Rodrigo Duterte’s tenure began, the landscape of online poker in the Philippines has faced uncertainty, owing to his staunch stance against online gambling. PAGCOR’s refusal to renew licenses for over 280 internet cafes and sportsbooks used by Filipinos reflects this stance. However, no further actions have been taken thus far.
Despite these challenges, poker enthusiasts in the Philippines still have access to major poker sites. Various payment methods are widely accepted, including credit/debit cards, cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Dash, Litecoin, Ethereum), wire transfers, cashier’s cheques, e-wallets, and prepaid options. It’s worth noting that deposits via Skrill/Neteller may be restricted on certain platforms.
Mobile data reliability varies across regions and times of the day in the Philippines, making a stable Wi-Fi connection preferable for online poker sessions.