Philippine authorities arrest 244 foreign nationals in raids on two illegal offshore gambling sites

The Philippine Immigration Bureau has reported the arrest of 244 foreign nationals in raids on two illegal gambling locations carried out on Friday, 2 October 2026. The operations were joint efforts between law enforcement agencies and were assisted by the military.

At the first location, authorities detained 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodian nationals and one Hong Kong resident. At the second site, another 131 foreign nationals were arrested. These included workers from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Myanmar.

During the raids, officials seized equipment linked to the illicit operations. The items included mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops and computers.

The operations fit into a wider effort by the Philippines to curb offshore gambling. The country disbanded its Philippine Online Gaming Operator (POGO) sector in 2024. According to the report, however, offshore operators have continued to work on the margins even without licensed operators in place, forming illegal enclaves. Authorities say such enclaves are associated with human trafficking, illegal gambling, drugs and other crimes.

The source notes that authorities are specifically seeking to close down these enclaves, which it describes as geopolitically relevant to the Philippines. One reason cited for the focus on these sites is that Chinese nationals are often victims of human trafficking in many of these locations.

The case shows that enforcement against unlicensed offshore gambling in the Philippines continues in the period after the POGO ban, with law enforcement and the military working together on large-scale raids.