Guide to Online Gambling in PH: The Best Filipino Gambling Sites using Gcash

The Best Gambling Sites in the Philippines

Ranking of the most reliable online gambling sites in the Philippines with the option to deposit and withdraw via GCash.

Types of Online Gambling in the Philippines with GCash

The Philippines is today home to more than two dozen online casinos, all offering a plethora of games for its customers to enjoy. These casino sites have a wide range of activities including casino games, fantasy sports, lotteries, poker, sabong, and sports betting, to mention a few. Even better is that plenty of top casino sites in the Philippines allow its customers to enjoy their favorite games or sports using GCash.

How to Find a Legal & Secure Philippines Gambling Site

As briefly noted earlier, today, Philippines has many betting sites, and finding trustworthy or the best casino sites can be a daunting task, especially for new players. But how do ensure you play at a safe and secure Philippine site? First, ensure that the wagering sites have a valid license issued by relevant authorities. Look for important things like their privacy policy and their commitment to responsible gambling. Factor in the available banking methods, games such as slots, and how an operator treats its customers.

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started with Philippines Online Gambling

Getting started with online gambling in the Philippine islands is not a complicated undertaking as you may first imagine. Below are the steps on how to get started on Philippines online gambling:

Top 5 Casino Bonuses and Promotions in the Philippines

Top online casinos in the Philippines offer enticing bonus offers and promotions to attract new clientele, encourage existing ones, and convince dormant to wager with them. Here are the top 5 casino bonus offers and promotions available to Philippine players:

Online Gambling Guide for Filipino Players

The entire information above would be useless if the gambling market in the Philippine islands wasn’t under regulation. In this second part of our online casino gambling guide in the Philippines, we’ll provide insightful information on taxation, the minimum gambling/betting age in the Philippines, and the top online gambling sites in the country, among other things. 

Gambling License & Safety in the Philippines

The Philippines has several firms tasked with overseeing the smooth operation of casino sites. While PAGCOR remains the sole institution that regulates and ensures responsible gambling practices, there are several international bodies to control gambling addiction, ensure software fairness, and transparency of gaming/betting.

Besides, PAGCOR, there is eCOGRA whose primary mandate is to ensure fairness and safety of online gambling games. Also, there is GAMSTOP, a firm whose objective is to help addicts to join self-exclusion programs. Finally, there’s BeGambleAware and iTech Labs. BeGambleAware helps problem gamblers to join self-help groups, while iTech Labs tests RNG games to ensure their conformity to industry standards.

How to Spot a Great Product: Games and Bets

Do you want to have an unforgettable experience while gaming or wagering in the Philippine islands? If so, you should be able to spot amazing products. For instance, if have an interest in sports betting, factor in aspects such as decent bonus offers, in-play betting, and huge markets. If your preference is online casino gaming, consider enticing welcome offers, trusted methods of payment, and the ones that have exquisite tournaments. 

Most Popular Online Gambling Games in the Philippines

Even though Philippine players play the latest games, our experts established that some games are given too much attention compared to others. Below are the most popular ones with their RTP rate:

• Slots (80% – 99.99%)
• Roulette (94% – 99%)
• Blackjack (97% – 99%)
• Live Dealer (97.15%)
• Poker (80.15%)

Best Bonuses for Online Gambling in the Philippines

Several bonuses are available for online gambling in the Philippines. However, in our review, we established welcome bonuses and free spins to be among the best bonuses for online gambling in country.  

Gambling Sites with the Best Payouts

Our experts established that the Philippines is home to many betting/gambling sites, all purporting to be the best in business. However, examined closely, that’s not the case as some are in business solely to profit. For the gaming experience to be unforgettable, try playing or wagering at top betting sites such as Bizzo, 20bet, 22bet, Helabet, Ice Casino, Cyberbet, or IviBet. They are the best sites for gaming.

Gcash Alternatives: Payment Methods at PH Gambling Sites

Undoubtedly, GCash is the number payment option at many PH gambling sites. But besides GCash, there are others to use such as Skrill, ePay, B-Pay, Qiwi, Neteller, and PayPal. Others include MasterCard, Visa, Visa Electron, Rapid Transfer, iDebit, GTB, and Online Bank Transfer. Some gaming sites allow the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin.

Best Online Gambling Apps for the Philippines

Playing while on the move is an essential part of wagering online, and top-rated PH apps provide excellent quality. To use and enjoy a top reliable betting app in the Philippine islands, you may try and use any from Bizzo, 20bet, 22bet, Helabet, Ice casino, Cyberbet, or IviBet as they stand out as the best gambling apps for the Philippines. Even better is that these apps don’t take up too much space. 

Best Online Casino Apps for Real Money in the Philippines

Safe & Fair Gambling Software

The games you prefer so much depend on developments and improvements that the creators provide. For safe and fair gambling software, you may want to try software offered by top providers such as Evolution, vFantasy, Lotto Pro, and PokerStars as they offer some of the latest titles.

Online Gambling the Philippines Laws & Regulations

In the section that follows, we explain the local additional laws and regulations relating to wagering in PH.

Is Online Gambling Legal in the Philippines?

All forms of online gambling are legal in the Philippines. DFS is the only event that has some unclear legal online wagering status through the Philippine nation.

Land-Based Gambling in the Philippines

Our review established that the Philippine government has a slightly conservative approach to land-based gambling. For example, sports betting isn’t legal. However, horse racing and cockfighting (sabong) are legal. Also allowed are casino games in brick-and-mortar establishments, such as slots, roulettes, and blackjack.

Regional Gambling Laws in the Philippines

When looking at Philippine gambling laws, it’s important to be aware of two main territories in the country. First, in the capital (Metro Manilla), you’ll find plenty of legit brick-and-mortar establishments, online casinos, and even online Filipino casinos where you can play without any worry. Secondly, there is the Cagayan Freeport/Cagayan Valley. This Valley has mostly relied on tourism. Our review established that difference is that players from the Philippine capital can only gamble online, but only at international gambling sites.  

Official Regulatory Bodies

As noted earlier, the Philippines has two top official gambling regulatory bodies. There is the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). CEZA regulates wagering in this valley.

Is Online Gambling Taxable in the Philippines?

The Philippine government has some of the strictest laws relating to gambling, and taxation is one of them. Operators would have to pay a 5% franchise tax. For gambling winnings, operators are also subject to a 50% tax from the government.

Legal Gambling Age in the Philippines

The legal gambling age for casino play (slots, roulette, etc) and poker in the Philippines is 21. However, if an individual has attained the age of 18, they can participate in the lottery. But again, VPNs make it hard to detect a player’s age.

Filipino Advertising Laws

The Philippine advertising laws largely favor the nation and restrict certain betting ads. The country’s Ad Council makes sure that the entire ads are up to standards, hears complaints, and settles disputes.

Penalties for Illegal Gambling in the Philippines

Illegal gambling isn’t new in the Philippines, with Jueteng, a form of illegal betting being common. Mayor Joseph Estrada has always insisted that such is punishable by law. According to Joseph Estrada, Jueteng remains illegitimate. Joseph Estrada has been determined to stamp out all forms of illegal gambling such as Jueteng, though, with little progress. Joseph Estrada has in the past stated that police officers that sit idle while Jueteng takes place will be relieved of their duties.

In the Philippines, the penalties for engaging in illegal betting are huge, and you don’t want to be caught on the wrong side. Do you want to know how heavy the fines are? If the answer is yes, then read on. In the Philippines, a fine between 1,000 and 10,000 Philippine pesos will apply for participating in illegal gambling games. If caught organizing illegitimate games, a fine of 6,000 Philippine pesos or a maximum period meant for prison collection will apply. 

Possessing a lottery-like ticket for illegal games such as jai-alai or jueteng would attract a fine between 400 and 2,000 Philippine pesos.

Upcoming Regulation Changes

Based on expected changes in regulation and law amendments, we hope that the top agenda of the Filipino government regarding gambling will officially legalize DFS. As far as taxes go, don’t be surprised at all to see the government increasing franchise taxes and gambling revenue.

Responsible Gambling & Addiction Prevention

Philippine operators understand the dangers of gambling addiction, a reason why most of them collaborate with organizations such as BeGambleAware, GAMSTOP, and Gamblers Anonymous to help fight gambling addiction.

Online Gambling in the Philippines Trivia – Curious Facts

An interesting custom you will find in the Philippines is wagering during funeral events, a tradition considered to honor the dead. Such could be in the form of mahjong or sakla. Even the kids can engage in the fun, and place fighting spiders bets to experience the feel of how gambling can be. Besides spiders wrestling, chances are that you will find horse fighting and other blood sports throughout the day. Most gambling proceeds and any other revenue go to the deceased family and don’t get taxed.  

Famous Land-Based Casinos and Gambling Resorts

Below are the famous brick-and-mortar resorts in the Philippines that offer the best experience in gambling games:

Famous Gamblers and Poker Players from the Philippines

The Philippines is home to several gamblers and poker millionaires such as the ones below: