This area – called the Cagayan Special Economic Zone (CEZA) or Cagayan Freeport/Clark Freeport Zone – is a specially designated area designed as a self-sustaining commercial and tourism destination.Īs such, the CEZA authorities have greater say when it comes to managing local Freeport casino and Freeport gambling projects. The one partial exception to this is found in Cagayan Province in northern Luzon. As such, they can be overridden by PAGCOR and the greater Philippine government if deemed necessary for the national interest. However, but these concerns are bolstered by local civic and religious influences rather than local laws. Local municipalities and barangays do have a say on what kinds of gambling are tolerated in their immediate vicinities. For those living outside the islands – or for those about to travel to the islands – these regions are essentially “states.” The difference is that these regional governments are extensions of the national government, not their own sovereign districts.Īs such, Philippine gambling laws apply to all regions throughout the three big island chains. There are 17 official “administrative regions” in the Philippines.

National And Regional Philippine Gambling Laws

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