Poker News - PokerMonger.com |
|
Regulation Issues in the PhillipinesThe Phillipines is a country that is almost entirely Roman Catholic, and very devoutly religious at that. For this reason, each district’s religious leaders have a huge influence on their congregation, and if any law or legislation comes about that deals with what the community might deem sinful, the bishop makes it known, and in effect makes some waves. The country is also involved in the gambling industry, mostly through online casino and poker. Although Catholicism deems any form of gambling as sinful, the industry in Cagayan has become heavily dependent on the revenue that online gambling brings in. The debate comes from an Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who has spoken out agains all gambling and has tried to capture the attention on certain government officials, for them to try to officially block the behavior. He has been on his anti-casino and poker mission for years. However in all his attempts, Bishop Cruz has not filed a formal complaint with the Senate, and so has not been following judicial protocol. What that means is that the changes that he seeks are most likely not going to happen, as he has not followed the proper steps to get the government to act on his behalf. Perhaps he is trying to affect their conscience, hoping that they will be moved to act from their own moral compass. Regardless, because the country is so heavily populated by a Roman Catholic community, the government has been feeling a great amount of pressure to make the Church happy. They are looking into the activities of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, who is the body responsible for promoting the globalization of the Philippine economy, since there have been allegations that they have been involved in a few less than legal activities. CEZA is also an operating body of several land and online casino and poker rooms, and there is currently a discrepancy over which agency has jurisdiction over which, and an ongoing debate over why CEZA casinos are not subject to the national gambling tax that others are required to pay. Back to August 2008 Archive. |
|
| Poker.com | Paradise Poker | Absolute Poker |