Despite the challenges, issues and upheavals encountered by the gambling industry in the Philippines, it still came out on top of the heap as cited by The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) being among the top-paying employers in the country.
The arts, entertainment and recreation (AER) industry has seen a revival during recent years but has also hung on for dear life to survive. Among the segments belonging to this field are film, television, radio and print which include movies, TV shows, radio shows, news, music, newspapers, magazines, and books that also cover sports and the gaming industries. This is a wide-reaching sector of businesses and gambling came out The gambling industry was still the top-paying employer amongst its peers in the AER arena.
You might also want to read: Chinese illegal gambling fugitive nabbed in Manila
PSA found data showing that workers in the gambling industry, including casinos, sports betting establishments and lotteries, received an average of PHP 465,000 in salaries and benefits for the full year. This entire AER coverage — or the ones outside of the gambling spectrum — only reflected that an average worker earned an average of PHP314,000 in 2020. This is a significant downturn when compared to 2019, pre-pandemic figure by 21% from a high PHP 397,000 per worker.
Backgrounder on the stats
The data that PSA used in their 2020 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry was based on surveys and details from these that covered 1,245 respondents from businesses involved in the AER sector.
Among the gambling and betting industries, PSA also had respondents from businesses engaged in sports activities; libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities; creative, arts and entertainment activities; and “other amusement and recreation activities.”
Do note that the survey was also covering only those establishments which were formal or regulated entities. Of the 50,005 sector workers tallied by the PSA in 2020, gambling and betting operators employed more than half, or 26,853.
You might also want to check: Sotto bans online gambling in Pasig City
It’s also important to consider that the AER workforce was reduced by 38% from 80,125 workers counted in the previous year’s 2019 survey. Back to the 2020 results, gambling and betting accounted for PHP56 billion, or 83% of the AER sector’s PHP68 billion revenue, and PHP69 billion, or 84% of its PHP82 billion expenditure. In this twist, it shows that gambling and betting activities had the lowest ratio of revenue per peso spent. Further computing the results, the bottom line average for the gambling industry earned an average of PHP0.82 for every peso spent. Unfortunately, the PSA data did not include data that can show how many companies were profitable and how many were losing money.
The pitfalls of scams
To complement the PSA report was a statement issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor). They reiterated their call on the public not to engage in illegal online gambling to avoid falling prey to scams, such as identity theft or credit card fraud.
Wagering illegal games were not only a criminal act but it will also take away revenue from the government. PAGCOR keeps tabs on this and the losses were in the billions of pesos. This was lost income for the government where funds could have gone to priority programs for a greater number of Filipinos.
PAGCOR does advise that gaming fans and enthusiasts take part only in licensed online-based gaming “for a truly enjoyable and safe gaming experience.”
Agree on that one. Part of the thrilling experience of gambling is indeed being worry-free while having fun with your preferred casino game. On top of this, PAGCOR-authorized casino operators — both land-based and online — will also serve the public well in its worthwhile causes and functions as part of the Philippine government. Do you agree, folks? We welcome your input, perspective and reaction to this piece of news. Just comment down below and we’ll keep tabs on them to get our pages on the right track for you. Cheers!
