More and more Filipinos are discovering that they can, through online casino games, win real money sitting in front of their computers. There are millions of keen gambling fans in the Philippines, but until the advent of the Internet, the only legal casinos available to them were land-based, in and around Manila. The republic comprises more than 7,000 islands, so not everyone finds travelling to and from the capital easy.
Combined with the Philippines’ excellent Internet infrastructure, online gambling is the obvious solution to convenient casino play anywhere, anytime. There are no laws prohibiting online gaming in the republic, although the Philippines’ only licensed online casinos, regulated by Luzon’s autonomous Cagayan Special Economic Zone, serve foreign players exclusively.
Nevertheless, Filipinos who want to play casino games, win real money, and enjoy all the entertainment casinos have to offer online, are perfectly free to do so under current law, as long as they play at sites registered in foreign jurisdictions.
Newcomers to online gaming may want to start exploring the subject at Philippine-based online casino review sites, which provide first-hand reports on the playing experience, or compilation sites that list the best casinos for Philippine players based on a number of criteria.
In both cases, new players can benefit from the experience of knowledgeable reviewers who actually play casino games, win real money, and check out all the must-have features on a site before they recommend it.
The most important of these must-haves is safety, security and peace of mind. Nothing is more frustrating than to play casino games, win real money, and then be denied the fruits of one’s good fortune, so a reputation for fair dealing and no-quibbles payouts is important.
An online site must have industry-standard 128-bit SSL encryption to safeguard players’ bank accounts; along with a cast-iron privacy policy to ensure their personal information isn’t sold to third parties. The top sites universally provide verification that their games are audited and proven to be truly random, too.
Most review and compilation sites catering to the Philippine market will not recommend an online casino if these basic precautions are not in place, but players are urged to double-check them before they register to play casino games, win real money, and take in the huge selection of titles to play.
Apart from the convenient access, this is another area in which online casinos have an edge over their land-based counterparts. There is no limit to virtual floor space, and players never have to wait for a free machine to play their favourite titles. As a result, online casino games win real money over a massive selection of titles, including hundreds of real money slots Philippines has on offer, dozens of video poker variations, and lots of table games, from familiar classics like roulette, craps, blackjack and poker, to niche casino pursuits like pai gow poker, keno or Red Dog.
Any sites recommended by reviewers and compilers to players in the Philippines should automatically be Philippine-friendly in terms of language and currency options, but the banking methods available can also be a factor.
Some players are happy to play casino games, win real money, or bear their losses philosophically, using the same credit and debit cards they use on everyday transactions. Others prefer the privacy of internet-only money transfer platforms when they make deposits or withdraw winnings. So the range of banking methods accepted is something else to consider, when picking an online casino to play at.