About 200 foreigners arrested in Zamboanga Sibugay over illegal online gambling

Philippine state operatives detained around 200 individuals, among them Chinese nationals, in a crackdown on illegal online gambling hubs in the neighboring towns of Alicia and Siay in Zamboanga Sibugay province before dawn on Friday, October 2¹. The operations were carried out jointly by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration, the 102nd Brigade of the Army's 1st Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office 9¹. A later report put the number arrested at 244 foreign nationals, more than half of them Chinese citizens, with the rest from Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar².

The raids followed reports from local officials and residents in both towns about foreigners and their Filipino accomplices operating clandestine online gambling networks using sophisticated electronic facilities¹. Major Gen. Yegor Rey Barroquillo Jr. of the 1st Infantry Division reported that NBI and immigration agents confiscated no fewer than 200 mobile phones and dozens of laptops and desktop computers found in the hideouts¹. Officers also seized computers, mobile phones, SIM cards and other equipment suspected of being used for online scams². The arrested are accused of working without permits, illegal entry and participating in illegal online activities².

The two accounts of the arrest total differ. Philstar.com reported around 200 individuals detained¹, while Allin News reported 244 foreign nationals arrested². Philippine authorities are also investigating whether those detained are linked to crimes such as human trafficking². Philstar.com reported that talks and text messages were spreading hinting that the arrested operators could also be involved in human trafficking and possibly the circulation of shabu through contacts in Zamboanga Sibugay and nearby cities and provinces in Region 9 and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao¹.

Ji Lingpeng, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, told media on October 4 that China is in communication with Philippine law enforcement agencies regarding the details of the case². He reiterated that China strictly prohibits all forms of gambling and does not allow its citizens to gamble overseas or be employed by gambling-related enterprises².

The raids come after former President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 and eased gambling regulations, after which POGOs expanded rapidly, with many operators setting up in the Philippines to target Chinese citizens². Under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a total ban on the local online gambling industry was ordered in 2024, on the position that the sector had devolved into a cover for criminal syndicates, breeding serious crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering, online scams, kidnapping and murder². A Banat editorial said Marcos ordered the total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations and "these online casinos," and that many operations were shut in various provinces⁴.

What it means for players

The arrests concern people accused of running illegal online gambling operations, not customers placing bets. The charges reported are working without permits, illegal entry and participating in illegal online activities². The Philippines banned the local online gambling industry in 2024², so offshore-facing hubs operating there are outside the law. For locals, expats and visitors, the practical exposure described in these reports attaches to operating, staffing or facilitating such hubs, and to immigration status. The reports do not describe any action against individual bettors in this case. Whether those detained face deportation has not been reported.

What happens next

China is in communication with Philippine law enforcement agencies regarding the details of the case, according to Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng². Philippine authorities are investigating whether those arrested are linked to human trafficking². No court dates, charging decisions or deportation proceedings have been reported.