East Timorese President Ramos-Horta has said the country is not interested in building a local casino on its territory.
However, it does not mind conducting online gambling operations in foreign markets outside its territory.
In an interview with Macau news broadcaster, Horta said he was not interested in local casinos in the country.
“Gambling is not something I’m interested in unless it’s targeted at foreigners. I don’t want some poor Timorese to lose everything in gambling, with all the human consequences, sometimes tragic consequences. But if foreigners want to gamble online and Timor offers the possibility of online gambling, that’s fine,” he was quoted as saying.
Since 2023, Timor-Leste has positioned itself as the latest hub for licensing and professional support services in the iGaming sector, with the Timor-Leste Virtual Gaming Association (VGA) acting as the regulatory body to create a best practice framework for iGaming licensing and regulation in the country. This development marks an important step for Timor-Leste.
While Timor-Leste has emerged as a hub for iGaming support, the Philippines recently banned all POGOs after a major raid at the beginning of the year uncovered serious criminal activity associated with them. operate on the territory. The impact of the ban is still being debated, with some questioning the decision and others supporting it.
Meanwhile, Australia has stepped up its efforts to prevent more illegal gambling sites from reaching its citizens, as a new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) shows.
