Duterte rejects China’s call for Philippines to ban online gambling

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that while he was not a fan of online gambling he was unwilling to ban the business, as China has called for, because of the harm that would do to the country’s economy. Duterte, who backed the Philippine gaming regulator’s move in late 2016 to license internet gambling, said on Wednesday he would not have allowed this “stupid activity” if there were plenty of jobs available. Online gambling companies, known as Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs), are a boon for the local economy, drawing many visitors from China, fuelling property demand and retail spending.

Source: yahoo.com/news