Virtual Gambling

The endeavor of the Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation to introduce and establish another form of gambling through betting stations of its "virtual numbers game" in the province of Camarines Sur and in the City of Naga had been reported to have met with little success so far. Despite endorsements from the Sanggunian Panglalawigan and the Camarines Sur chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Meridien found its first gambling stations being closed down by the Provincial PNP due to lack of official permits to operate "small town lotteries-type" of games.

While we welcome such auspicious news, we would like to urge, nonetheless, local authorities in the province and in Naga City to continue barring Meridien's further attempts at introducing yet another form of gambling into our communities. To this end, we urge City Councilor Nelson Legacion who heads the City government's Committee on Games and Amusement to consider not only the legality of Meridien's application for its operations, but more importantly, the detrimental effects of a virtual numbers game.

The virtual numbers game is not unlike the illegal numbers game, jueteng, whose operations persist, despite assertions to the contrary by the PNP and local authorities. Similar to jueteng, "players" bet on numbers between 1 to 38. Winning numbers are drawn, in the case of the "virtual game," through a pelota game being broadcast online and is shown in TV sets found in the betting stations. A single pelotario supposedly hits the winning numbers on a wall using a pelota being hurled from his jai-alai-like racket.

Like any form of gambling, this virtual game would create a disposition among members of communities which unreasonably and heavily relies on luck and chance in the effort to extricate themselves from poverty.  Ultimately, such a disposition among our people promotes laziness as well as undermines the value of self-reliance which contributes significantly towards building our communities and our nation.

Hence, we enjoin that legality and revenues be not only the matters for consideration by Councilor Legacion's committee. We urge that they consider too, and with much weight, the kind of attitudes and habits this "virtual numbers game" would instill on the public. We urge them to not gamble on virtual gambling.