Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — With the war on drugs on the back burner, the police launch another battle — this time against illegal gambling.

For Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa, illegal gambling spawns a host of other crimes.

He acknowledged that the anti-gambling purge has not been easy but the State remains relentless. CS Matiang’i further urged Kenyans to join the government in the war against gambling and betting. “Data shows since we started a crackdown on gambling, change has been seen. It has not been a bed of roses but I am resolute in stopping it. The tough-talking CS further urged Kenyans to join the government in the war against gambling that has since seen two of the region’s leading betting firms shut down their operations in Kenya.

'If left unchecked, (illegal gambling) breeds corruption and may mutate into other forms of organized crime - including drug trafficking, illegal vices, money laundering and kidnapping,' Dela Rosa told reporters on Monday.

'By this pronouncement, the PNP is hereby declaring war against illegal gambling.'

Related: Duterte starts fight against illegal gambling

He added that no one would be spared, small fry and big fish alike. He also noted that the gambling 'menace' — as President Duterte's EO 13 described it — plagued almost all barangays in the country.

Related: After drugs: Duterte now goes after online gambling, fixers

The new war will cover online gambling and the illegal numbers game known as 'jueteng.'

Aside from the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation had also been authorized by the President to run after illegal gambling.

Related: Duterte: Fight illegal drugs first, and then gambling

In July, the President had said that illegal gambling would be next after the war on illegal drugs.

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.

The US government's war against the online gambling industry.

The US Department of Justice has consistently maintained that online gambling is illegal. In a letter to US broadcast organisations dated 11 June 2003, John G.Malcolm, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division,of the United States Department of Justice wrote;

'Notwithstanding their frequent claims of legitimacy, Internet gambling and offshore sportsbook operations that accept bets from customers in the United States violate Sections 1084, 1952, and 1955 of 18 of the United States Code, each of which is a Class E felony. Additionally, pursuant to Title 18. United States Code. Section 2, any person Or entity who aids or abets in the commission of any of the above-listed offenses is punishable as a principal violator of those statutes. The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing these statutes and we reserve the right to prosecute violators of the law.'

Known colloquially as the 'Wire Wager Act,' Title 18, United States Code, Section 1084(a) provides that:

'Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers, or information assisting in the placement of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years or both.'

The purpose of the statute is two-fold:

- To assist the various States and the District of Columbia in the enforcement of their laws pertaining to gambling, bookmaking, and like offenses.

- To aid in the suppression of organized gambling activities by prohibiting the use of wire communication facilities which are or will be used for the transmission of bets or wagers and gambling information in interstate and foreign commerce.

The Prohibition of Illegal Gambling Businesses Act 1955 states that;

(a) Whoever conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, orowns all or part of an illegal gambling business shall be finedunder this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(2) gambling includes but is not limited to pool-selling, bookmaking, maintaining slot machines, roulette wheels or dice tables, and conducting lotteries, policy, bolita or numbers games, or selling chances therein.

Section 1952 of Title 18, United States Code, which is also referred to as the Travel Act, also proscribes interstate gambling activity by stating:

.. the use of any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, including the mail, with intent to (1) distribute the records of any unlawful activity .. or (3) otherwise promote, manage, establish carry on or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment or carrying on, of any unlawful activity .. shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years or both.

The Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. It prohibits the creation or management of a gambling organization involving 5 or more people, if it has been in business more than 30 days or accumulates $2000 in gross revenue in a single day. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a United States federal law which provides for extended penalties for criminal acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was enacted by section 901(a) of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 91-452, 84 Stat. 922 (15 October 1970). RICO is codified as Chapter 96 of Title 18 of the United States Code, 18 U.S.C. ? 1961 through 18 U.S.C. ? 1968.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 makes unlawful the receipt by a gambling business of proceeds or monies in connection with unlawful internet gambling. It represents the first piece of Federal legislation to explicitly deal with online gambling, and it makes clear the US government's intention to stop the flow of funds from Americans to online gaming operators through criminal sanction. The Act explicity states that;

No provision of this subchapter shall be construed as altering, limiting, or extending any Federal or state law or Tribal-State compact prohibiting , permitting, or regulating gambling within the United States.

The scope of the act is far reaching. Restricted transaction is taken to mean any transmittal of money involved with unlawful Internet gambling, whilst a bet is construed as including;

any instruction or information pertaining to the establishment or movement of funds by the bettor or customer in, to, or from an account with the business of betting or wagering.

The Act also provides that an interactive computer service (taken here to refer to ISP's) may be asked by an Attorney or an Attorney General to remove, or disable access to any online site that violates the prohibitions contained within the Act. The site in question must reside on a computer server that such service controls or operates. This raises the very real prospect that sites like Google and Yahoo may be asked to remove from their search engines links to websites that openly promote offshore gambling business'.

In March 2003, Paypal received a letter from the said Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. contending that its provision of services to online gambling companies was in direct violation of 18 U.S. Code 1960 of the USA PATRIOT Act, which prohibits the transmission of funds that are known to have been derived from a criminal offense or are intended to be used to promote or support unlawful activity.

In addition to the statutory instruments, eight US states have laws that specifically prohibit Internet gambling: Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, South Dakota, Michigan and Oregon.

Operating Internet gambling websites

In June 1997 a Greene County grand jury indicted Michael F. Simone and Interactive Gaming & Communications on charges of promoting gambling in the first degree, alleging that the defendants committed a criminal violation of Missouri law by accepting gambling wagers through the Internet from a Missouri resident.Springfield, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon stated at the time;

These criminal convictions should serve as a clear notice to

War Against Gambling