A party-list lawmaker supported the bill filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian imposing stricter regulations on online gambling, including a ban on betting games using electronic wallets (e-wallets) and the imposition of a minimum cash-in amount of P10,000.
Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro party-list group said online gambling transactions should be prohibited on e-wallet platforms such as GCash and Maya, as well as through the online applications of banking institutions.
“This measure aims to prevent the unchecked and convenient access of ordinary Filipinos—especially the youth—to online gambling platforms,” Ridon said he is inclined to file a counterpart measure at the House of Representatives.
Ridon said the government has a duty to make it more difficult for individuals to use their hard-earned income on activities that often result in financial distress and family disintegration.
“To this end, online gambling operators should be required to establish their own independent payment systems with stricter know-your-customer (KYC) protocols and significantly higher minimum cash-in thresholds, in line with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s proposed ₱10,000 initial deposit requirement,” he said.
Ridon emphasized that family incomes should be safeguarded for life’s essentials such as food, shelter, education, healthcare, and other daily needs—not siphoned into online gambling platforms that offer no productive return.
“Gambling regulation must begin with access restriction,” the party-list lawmaker said.
