MANILA --Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa on Friday wants regular destruction of video karera (horse racing video game) machines as part of continuous efforts to topple illegal gambling in the country.

Anti-gambling campaign launched February 28 after illegal activity became “more rampant” Cases included illicit use of payment platforms, live broadcasts of gambling on illegal casino sites Informants on illegal gambling operations in Jilin province eligible for rewards of up to $7,000.

Gamboa led the destruction of 56 units of video karera machines with Quezon City Police District (QCPD) chief, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo to show their accomplishment in the anti-illegal gambling drive.

The President, whose anti-drug campaign was a major campaign promise in 2016, ordered a stop to all police anti-drug operations after it was revealed that cops from the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group. National Capital Region Police Office chief Gen. Debold Sinas on Monday ordered a massive crackdown against illegal gambling in the southern part of Metro Manila as part of its continuing anti-criminality campaign. The NCRPO chief wants to intensify police operations against jueteng at the Southern Police District under PBGen. The police said that anti-illegal gambling campaign is one of the eight “focus” crimes after President Rodrigo Duterte dismantled the police’s anti-drug units in the aftermath of the involvement of police officers in the kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo.

'Gusto ko gawin destruction every week (I want the destruction to be done every week),' Gamboa told reporters in a chance interview after the event held at Camp Karingal, Quezon City.

The destroyed units were confiscated from the 22 various anti-gambling operations in Quezon City, Montejo said.

The PNP chief reiterated that all forms of illegal gambling are prohibited in the country such as jueteng, video karera, tupada (cockfighting), among others.

Gamboa earlier ordered a one-strike policy among police officials who would fail to stop illegal gambling operations in their areas of jurisdiction.

He said the actions of all police unit commanders in enforcing the campaign against corruption and crimes against public morals, particularly illegal gambling would weigh 'heavily' in the succeeding rounds of individual performance evaluation.

He urged the public to help the police to beat the operators of illegal gambling.

'We seek the help of the community, tulungan ang kapulisan (We seek the help of the community to help the police),' Gamboa said.

He said that he was satisfied with the action of the QCPD, which he singled out recently for its accomplishment against illegal gambling.

For his part, Montejo said the drive against illegal gambling in the city would never stop.

'Maganda naman po ang ginagawa ng station commanders (The works of the station commanders have been good),' Montejo told reporters.

He commended his officers and men for their relentless efforts in the conduct of anti-illegal gambling operations which yielded significant arrests and confiscation of paraphernalia.

Montejo also encouraged the public to report to authorities if they know any illegal gambling operations in the area so that the police can immediately respond to it.

Recently, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas ordered the arrest of the owner of establishments found hosting video karera machines.

Sinas also said that he wanted more teeth in the operations.

Sinas said those leasing their spaces to video karera operators get a huge profit from this activity.

“Most of the stores allow it because as per our source, they received 20 percent of the total profit. It is really big and yet they still deny it,” he said in Filipino.

From Oct. 12, 2019 to Jan. 19, 2020, Sinas said the five Metro Manila police districts confiscated a total of PHP1,508,658 cash from 2,587 operations against various forms of illegal gambling, including video karera, and arrested 7,926 persons.

The five districts covered by the NCRPO are the Manila Police District (MPD), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Northern Police District (NPD), Southern Police District (SPD), and Eastern Police District (EPD). (PNA)

A cargo ship transformed into a floating casino was detained by the Chinese authorities, while the government released a series of videos as part of a new anti-gambling campaign across the country.

Recently, Genting Hong Kong reported that it froze payments to its creditors because its casino cruise ships were stopped at the port. Although players might consider Genting’s ships as potential COVID Petri dishes, their biggest concern appears to be hitting a lucky card.

The Wuxi Public Security Bureau in Jiangsu province arrested more than 100 people after a raid on the ‘gambling boat’ that was kept operating on a local channel, Chinese media reported on wednesday. In addition to the players, among those arrested are 18 people accused of operating the illegal casino.

Police reports indicate that authorities were alerted in june by people who claimed to have boarded a cargo ship, but that it was transformed into a game room and had a commissary and luxurious sanitary facilities.

The ship appears to move up and down the canal daily and during its journey to many stops to collect customers. The crew members themselves watched to prevent some other unknown ship from being, while other people on the ground who served as accomplices about the operation, kept an eye out for any threat.

However, some 100 police officers participated in the search of the ship in early august. During the raid, authorities seized RMB3.7 million (US$ 535,000) in gambling funds. Reports indicate that the group that controlled this illegal business had been operating since last year and owned more than one vessel.

The videos of the anti-gambling campaign

Moreover, China launched an educational advertising campaign to combat illegal gambling through the Office of the Mechanism to Combat Cross-Border Gambling in Hunan Province. The government agency released at least six short videos with the aim of “deeply exposing the harmfulness of illegal gambling.”

All the videos were recorded in mandarin. In one of these animated videos titled ‘Running Trap’, a young man appears in their room playing with his phone. Suddenly an online gambling pop-up ad jumps onto the screen.

When the young man clicks on the link, he immediately connects with a lady who supposedly works as an operator for an online gambling call center. Subsequently, images emerge of police breaking down the call center door and arresting staff.

Pnp Anti-illegal Gambling Campaign Plan

Later, the young player discovers that his bank details and credit information have been compromised and cries inconsolably.

In another video titled ‘Tourist Trap’ a young man is invited to access an online casino abroad. On the gaming website, players start out by making a lot of money, but ultimately lose it all. The video ends with the player tucked into a cage half-naked, while two burly men hit the cage with sticks. (A clear allusion to the kidnappings that occurred in casinos in Cambodia, the Philippines and other Asian countries).

Anti Illegal Gambling Campaign

In a non-animated music video called ‘The Sister of Anti-Gambling’, a friendly official from the Ministry of Public Security appears singing a catchy tune and speaking to players on the street as they play on their phones.

Anti-illegal Gambling Campaign Flyers

The video series also features a live action clip of a young man in a bar while watching an international soccer game.

Everyone around him is celebrating and laughing, but he is depressed at losing his money during a bet on the outcome. The player later appears getting drunk.

In that same video, an older office worker goes to the company safe to grab some cash, but the money is turned into handcuffs. Then the police arrive and he is arrested for embezzlement.

Each of the videos is a piece made by a professional. Although recently the authorities have invited the public to upload their own advertising productions to the web with the promise of including the best in the campaign.

Source: https://calvinayre.com/2020/08/21/business/china-new-anti-online-gambling-propaganda-videos/