The Department of Justice warns workers in the Philippine illegal offshore gambling industry to comply with authorities, or face legal consequences, such as being permanently blacklisted by immigration.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has banned offshore gambling operators in the Philippines from operating in the country and has ordered these operators to shut down by the end of 2024.
Marcos's ban on the offshore gambling industry was issued after investigations linked the gambling operations to illegal activities and other heinous crimes.
Marcos issues an executive order officially banning the offshore gambling industry
Justice Minister Jesus Crispin Remulla stated in a declaration: "The President has made it clear that the offshore gambling industry has no place in the Philippines, and we vow to fully support the interests and welfare of the Filipino people." The Bureau of Immigration stated this week that about 11,000 foreign offshore gambling industry workers were deported last year for failing to leave the country.
The Department of Justice stated that these personnel include foreign workers from offshore gambling companies who failed to downgrade their visa levels or voluntarily leave the Philippines, as well as those who downgraded their visa levels but stayed in the Philippines after their visitor visas expired.
The Department of Justice stated that the Bureau of Immigration is currently conducting a large-scale manhunt for the remaining foreign workers of offshore gambling companies in the country, who are now considered illegal foreigners.
Remulla stated that the government is determined to intensify its crackdown on illegal offshore gambling companies.
