Manila online casinos vacate half of their officesBloombergChina-centric online casinos vacated half of their offices in the Philippine capital during the COVID-19 pandemic, as travel restrictions, taxes and precarious relations between the two countries throttled their operations. Before the pandemic, the US$8 billion industry and its tens of thousands of migrant workers boosted property prices across Metro Manila and its surrounds. Operators employ mostly Chinese to answer queries and process payments for clients who place bets on livestreamed games of baccarat and fan-tan. Vacancy might ease should online casinos return and add to demand from outsourcing companies, he said. As travel restrictions ease, “it’s really up to Philippine-China relations, with respect to the level of tolerance in allowing the industry to prosper,” Andaya said.

Source: Taipei Times February 09, 2022 22:01 UTC