The Philippines, a beautiful archipelago nation comprising more than 7,000 islands where some 115 million people call home. Hailed as the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the country is known and loved for its natural beauty, lively spirit, vibrant festivals, and rich culture. What many may not realize is this: The Philippines is also quickly shaping up to be known as a real gem for gamblers in Asia.
How do Filipinos feel about this? What does gambling mean to them? Read on to find out more about gambling culture in the Philippines and Filipinos’ cultural attitudes towards gambling.
Gambling is historical
Thanks to its history of trade and international relations, gambling has long been a fixture in Filipino history. The beginnings of this could be attributed to China. Due to the proximity of the two countries, Chinese people traveled to the Philippines for business and brought gambling over in the 1500’s. It is said that the records of Magellan’s ship arriving in Palawan in 1521 mentions wagering on cockfights.
Later, when the Philippines became a Spanish colony in the 1560’s, gambling became more institutionalized with establishments such as cockpits, card parlors, and billiard halls. This was further cemented in the 1800’s with the introduction of lotteries, horse racing, and casinos.
Although the Spaniards attempted to ban gambling, it was already too pervasively woven into the fabric of society as a popular pastime. History repeated itself during the American occupation in the 1890’s when the Americans initially tried to ban gambling in the Philippines but decided that it could no longer be controlled. As such, rather than prohibiting it, gambling was decriminalized in 1912 in order for the state to collect funds from it.
Of course, online gambling made history with the Internet boom of the 1990’s and has been on the rise ever since, especially with the advent of mobile gambling today.
Gambling has locally beloved idiosyncrasies
As an extension from the country’s international heritage, several popular gambling games in the Philippines were imported via visiting nations and modified into local versions over time. This includes as tong-its, a three-player rummy card game. It was introduced by the US military in the 1940s and most likely evolved from the American card game, Tonk. Similarly, pusoy dos is another card game popular in the Philippines that had overseas origins, this time from China. Many of these have withstood the test of time enough to be adapted into digital versions for online gambling.
Gambling is embedded in cultural traditions
In the Philippines, it is common for gambling to be featured in celebrations, no matter for funerals, festivals, or fairs. Gambling culture has always functioned to bring people and communities together. Folk practices, such as seasonal perya carnival games, sabong or cockfighting, horse fighting, spider wrestling, and the Filipino sakla tarot cards, are an inseparable part of the rich tapestry of traditions in the Philippines.
For example, jueteng, which is a form of lottery numbers game, is illegal but widely exists in many parts of the Philippines. Appealing to many low-income communities, jueteng is seen as a harmless and fun way to participate in a common activity and a crucial part of the Filipino informal economy.
Gambling is tied to superstitious beliefs
Filipinos believe in swerte, meaning luck, influenced by Chinese traders in the old days. This belief in swerte was well-suited for gambling activities that locals have come to lean on for survival, such as coping with difficult war-time conditions and poverty.
Most interestingly, this gambling culture in the Philippines has persisted in spite of religious opposition. The church and particularly Archbishop Oscar Cruz have been vocal detractors of gambling. Nonetheless, despite 78.8% of the population self-reporting to be of Catholic faith, such superstition continue to be ingrained in the minds of many Filipinos and commonly practiced.
Gambling reflects the Filipino passion
The Filipino love for entertainment and sports makes fertile breeding ground for gambling culture that brings out their natural flair for performance and exhilaration. It actually comes as no surprise that being an online casino dealer is a lucrative career opportunity that many Filipinos excel in.
Gambling is good for the economy
Since the COVID-19 lockdown, the popularity of online casinos in the Philippines has steadily climbed and continues to do so. In 2023, the Philippines reaped a GGR (gross gaming revenues) of a record-breaking PHP ₱58.16 billion (approximately USD $992.05 million) for the first time in the history of the country. The Filipino online gambling market is expected to reach PHP ₱61.75 billion in revenue in 2024.
At the same time, foreign investments have been flooding in, boosting the country’s economy by creating jobs and generating revenue. Besides providing employment opportunities, the expansion of the gambling industry has spurred the development of local businesses and infrastructure, such as the construction of data centers and telecommunication networks. Major casinos like MCW Philippines have become key economic players catalyzing growth in society.
The Filipino government has taken measures to capitalize on the economic potential of online gambling by imposing all fees, taxes, and charges that pad the national coffers.
Conclusion
It is evident by now that the popularity of gambling and people’s attitudes towards it are due to how closely gambling culture in the Philippines is tied to the deeply-rooted historical, cultural, spiritual, and socio-economic aspects of life. An exploration of these attitudes unveils a fascinating and complex interplay between gambling and social customs, identity, and the ever-alluring draw of money.
