Jueteng

The Spanish colonialists sponsored gambling, and their lotteries were originally run by the Governor-General of the Philippines himself.[7] Juéteng (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxweteŋg]) was later introduced by the Spanish, and dates back to at least 1893.[7] The etymology of the word is unclear. While a common folk etymology is that it originates from a Chinese word like 花档 (huādàng),[12][13] and, indeed, this is the term used by Chinese Filipino publications for the game,[14][15] huādàng means "flower shop" in standard Chinese.[16]

Jueteng was and is popular nationwide; tickets were even sold in ferries or boats to the Visayas and Mindanao.[11] José Rizal, a national hero considered by some to be "the first Filipino",[17] is perhaps the most well-known early fan of jueteng: he won ₱6,200 while in exile in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, which he used in part to buy a farm which is now a historical site.[18][19]

When the American colonialists came to power, they cracked down on jueteng.[20][10] In 1907, it was specifically made illegal by the colonial-era Philippine Legislature through Act No. 1757.[21][22] Since independence, various administrations have continued to try different tactics to end the practice, without success.[23] Jueteng existed even during the martial law era, although not as openly.[24]

A kubrador plies his trade in San Juan, Ilocos Sur. He carries a notepad of all the bets he's collected that day, along with other supplies for playing jueteng.

A list of jueteng numbers from bettors in Baguio at different times of a single day.

Before the game, jueteng solicitors, colloquially known as kubrador, collect bets house to house.[25] They are supervised by higher level operators known as kabo.[25] At the top are the bankero (banqueros),[26][10]^:351 or "jueteng lords".[27][28]

Some kubrador may also erect stalls or kiosks on the street to attract bettors. The bettor picks two numbers from one to 37 (in some versions, 38).[5]^:§2(b) Depending on the kubrador, the game either occurs right then and there,[20] or, more commonly, the kubrador will return later with any winnings.[3][24] As such, a high degree of trust by the bettor in their kubrador is required.[3]

Bets can be as low as ₱0.25.[9] A bet of only ₱1 can win between ₱400 and ₱1,000.[3][9] A tambiolo (lottery drum) is often used in conjunction with thirty-seven bolas (balls) to mix up the numbers.[1][20][29] Despite this, cheating by the operators of the game is still possible.[30] Various superstitions exist as to which numbers should be chosen, and some kubrador even encourage such beliefs by offering to tell someone their lucky numbers based on their dreams;[3][31] when a kubrador interprets signs for a bettor, this is called degla.[24]

Jueteng is officially illegal in the Philippines, though enforcement of the law is lax.[4][6] The penalties for playing jueteng are officially laid out in Republic Act 9287 (based on Presidential Decree 1602); for a simple bettor, the penalty is only thirty to ninety days in jail.[5]^:§3(a) Some, such as Justice Marvic Leonen, have questioned the wisdom of going after jueteng bettors when other types of gambling, such as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, are allowed to freely proliferate.[34] Others, including President Rodrigo Duterte, have suggested the game should be legalized.[23][35]

Sanctioned jueteng

See also: PCSO Lottery Draw § Small Town Lottery games

Logo of the PCSO's Small Town Lottery

Although much has been tried to eradicate this form of unregulated gambling by the government, all such efforts have failed due to the game's widespread popularity.[23] In 1987, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) first sanctioned and began operating a similar game, called the "Small Town Lottery" (STL).[8] They increased the number that bettors have to choose from from 37 to 40. This choice was made to seemingly detach STL's identity from that of jueteng and decrease the odds of winning. STL was suspended in 1990, but was revived in 2005.[8] It was suspended by President Duterte for a month in 2019 as well due to allegations of "shocking" corruption by a member of the PCSO board.[36] The Commission on Audit estimates that corrupt PCSO STL practices cost the government a combined ₱14.9 billion in missing receipts in 2017 and 2018.[9]

STL, along with other PCSO lottery games, was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.[37]

The 2006 film Kubrador by Jeffrey Jeturian centers on an aging bet collector (played by Gina Pareño) who finds her mundane existence suddenly transformed by an unforeseen series of events as she seeks players for the illegal game of jueteng she helps operate.[43]

Among Filipinos, a 2005 Social Weather Stations survey found that 13% of women and 15% of men played jueteng.[2]

• Gambling in the Philippines