Crackdown on jai alai betting stations in Davao Sur ordered

DIGOS City, Philippines—Davao del Sur police chief Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa said Tuesday he had ordered a provincewide crackdown on the so-called off-fronton jail alai betting stations.

De la Rosa said off-fronton betting stations were illegal and Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. was only licensed to operate jai alai games within the Cagayan free port in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, under a permit from the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority.

A police source said the crackdown on off-fronton stations was akin to “hitting two birds with one stone.”

The source, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said that aside from taking bets for jai alai, off-fronton stations in the province were also being used to collect bets for Last Two digits.

Last Two is a game based on lotto and other games operated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. It is quite popular in many Mindanao provinces.

De la Rosa said the crackdown on off-fronton stations was not illegal and was backed by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.