342 Philippine gaming workers caught in raid

Stopped in their tracks: Chinese workers illegally working at an unlicensed online gambling firm being arrested by Philippine authorities at an office building in Quezon City, Metro Manila. — Reuters

MANILA: Philippine authorities said they arrested 342 Chinese workers in a raid on an unlicensed gambling operation, part of a crackdown on illegal migration and an illicit gaming industry that is being fuelled by mainland China’s appetite for betting.

Licensed online gaming operations introduced in 2016 have been a boon in bringing money to the Philippine economy, but illegal businesses attracting massive numbers of Chinese migrants have also mushroomed, due largely to vested interests, corruption and weak law enforcement.