On June 29, 2025, at around 3:30 PM, at an event center in San Vicente, Tarlac, operatives of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) – National Headquarters, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 3 (RACU 3), Police Regional Office 3 (PRO 3) – Tarlac Provincial Police Office (Tarlac PPO), 1st and 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), Regional Intelligence Unit 3 (RIU 3), and the Tarlac City Police Station, in coordination with the Provincial Government of Tarlac, Tarlac Provincial Health Unit, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Games and Amusements Board (GAB), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), conducted a law enforcement operation that resulted in the arrest of 94 individuals involved in a major illegal gambling scheme.

The operation stemmed from the intensive cyber patrolling by the PNP ACG, which began monitoring the illegal activity on social media as early as February 2024. Suspects were conducting live-streamed raffle draws and promoting them as legitimate events.

The illegal gambling scheme involved a tambiolo (raffle drum) system, where bettors were required to purchase raffle tickets for Php20.00 each. The operators enticed the public with false promises of grand prizes worth up to Php4.5 million, supposedly to encourage wider participation.

However, further investigation revealed that these prizes were fraudulent and that the alleged winners were members of the group behind the operation. The scheme was designed to deceive the public into participating in what appeared to be a legitimate promotional campaign.

Upon verification, it was confirmed that the gambling operation had no authorization or licenses from regulatory bodies, including the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), PAGCOR, GAB, and SEC, and lacked a business permit from the Local Business Permits and Licensing Office of the Provincial Government of Tarlac.

A total of 94 individuals were apprehended, including three financiers and operators, 18 administrative staff, 43 head distributors, 19 distributors, and 11 agents who were facilitating both online and offline raffle draws without any legal authorization.

The suspects are facing charges for violation of PD No. 1602 (Illegal Gambling) as amended by RA No. 9287 in relation to Section 6 of RA No. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).

This operation aligns with the directive of Police General Nicolas D. Torre III, Chief of the PNP, to intensify cyber patrolling and implement immediate legal action to prevent cybercriminals from exploiting social media platforms.

Police Brigadier General Bernard R. Yang, Acting Director of the PNP ACG, commended the operatives for their successful efforts. He emphasized, “This highlights the commitment of the PNP ACG to safeguard the public against fraudulent online activities and illegal gambling operations. We will continue to intensify our efforts to detect and combat cyber-enabled illegal enterprises, especially those that deceive the public under the guise of legitimate promotional campaigns.”