{"id":485,"date":"2025-02-19T04:34:42","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T04:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canwestgames.com\/?p=485"},"modified":"2025-02-19T04:34:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T04:34:54","slug":"a-once-thriving-industry-now-under-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canwestgames.com\/a-once-thriving-industry-now-under-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"A Once Thriving Industry Now Under Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
For years, the online gaming industry in the Philippines was booming, providing thousands of jobs, attracting foreign investment, and boosting the economy. However, the government\u2019s intensified crackdown on this sector has changed the landscape entirely. With stricter regulations and mass closures of gaming operations, the effects have rippled across various industries, leaving many areas\u2014especially in Metro Manila\u2014eerily quiet, reminiscent of the COVID-19 lockdown days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having recently returned to Makati, I couldn\u2019t believe what I saw. Once a bustling financial and entertainment hub, it now feels like a ghost town. Many shops, bars, and restaurants have shut down permanently, victims of the ongoing clampdown. The once-thriving economy, fueled by online gaming operators and their employees, has taken a massive hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n