The backlash against online gambling, triggered at the Catholic Church’s pulpit and later on spread to the halls of Congress, is starting to be felt in the pockets of leading gaming companies.
“It is the prerogative of our lawmakers to propose laws which they think will be beneficial to the public” — PAGCOR
Data from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) showed DigiPlus’ stock price fell to P38.74 as of Thursday from a recent high of P65.30. The company operates leading online gaming platforms BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and PeryaGame.
In a disclosure to the stock exchange, DigiPlus Interactive Corp. attributed the sharp decline to market gamingspeculation following the filing of two proposed bills on June 30, 2025: the Online Gambling Regulatory Bill and the Online Gambling Prohibition Bill, introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
“The company notes the recent share price movement and attributes this to market speculation following the filing of the Online Gambling Regulatory bill and Online Gambling Prohibition bills filed at the Senate and House of Representatives since June 30, 2025,” the firm said in a statement.
“The bills are still in the early stages of the legislative process and have not been enacted into law,” it added.
The company, however, said it remains confident in its long-term growth potential despite the unusual stock price movement which it traced to market speculation over efforts to introduce stricter regulation, if not totally ban online gambling.
Similarly, shares of Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which recently launched its own online gaming application, also saw declines.
From a recent high of P6.18 per share, Bloomberry’s shares closed at P4.70 on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed alarm that online gambling is being subtly legalized, making it more accessible to the public.
CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David said with the advent of technology, individuals can now engage in gambling activities through their mobile phones, which are widely used by young people.
In his Facebook page, the Kalookan archbishop said that while Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) have been banned, “PIGOs” or “Philippine inland gaming operators” have taken their place.
In an interview on Friday, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores explained that the objective of the proposed Anti-Online Gambling Promotions in E-Wallets Act is not to totally ban online gambling, but simply to regulate the amount of money that can be used to take part in them.
“My primary target is the links between the e-wallets and the online games, because if you go, look at e-wallets, there are buttons that will directly link you to the online games. So, it makes it easier to load and to play some more online games,” he said.
“Now, it’s not basically to ban online gaming, it’s to make it more difficult for the ordinary Filipino to participate,” Flores added.
For his part, Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno supported efforts to legislate stricter regulation on online gambling, imposing firm age restrictions on e-gambling platforms and removing access to e-wallet services often used in placing online bets.
He expressed solidarity with Catholic bishops’ call to address the “gambling disorder,” which has infected the youth.
“In gambling, not chips or money, but dreams are at stake. With every cash-in on the E-gambling app, a family is destroyed and young people are robbed of their future,” Diokno said in Filipino.
“They say ‘you win some, you lose some’ — but only the big gambling corporations win from the dreams others lost,” he added.
Likewise, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña also criticized the unchecked rise of E-Gambling billboards along EDSA, which normalizes gambling in public spaces.
“Is gambling now a basic necessity? The giant billboards along EDSA no longer advertise food or clothes, but E-gambling. So, it is not surprising that instead of buying essential goods, the salary goes to gambling,” he lamented.
At the upper chamber, Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri has filed a more draconian bill, seeking an outright ban on online gambling in the Philippines, calling it a “silent epidemic” that is quietly harming Filipinos, especially minors and the most vulnerable.
In the bill aptly called the “Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025″ that Zubiri intends to file, he drew a parallel between the threat once posed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and the growing danger of local online gambling platforms.
“We already shut the doors on POGOs for the damage they caused. But an even more dangerous problem has crept into our homes: online gambling that targets our own people,” he said.
The proposed measure prohibits all forms of online gambling in the country, not just simple regulation.
Senator Win Gatchalian, however, proposes strict regulation instead of an outright ban, pushing for rehabilitation programs and higher cash-in requirements to discourage impulsive betting. Meanwhile, Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano also support a nationwide ban, warning of links between online gambling and crimes like fraud, cybercrime, and human trafficking.
Penalties across the bills range from multi-million peso fines to imprisonment for both operators and users. A proposed Online Gambling Control Task Force under the Office of the President would enforce the law
Meanwhile, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it is considering options to limit the public’s access to online gambling to protect consumers from the risks of these services.
In a statement Thursday, the BSP said it has circulated among stakeholders a draft document that aims to require banks and electronic money issuers to better protect their customers.
One of the modes being looked into is setting a limit on who can access the online gambling sites or apps, it said.
“The BSP is taking a collaborative approach to crafting the circular, to ensure that the final policy strikes a balance between protecting consumers and preserving access to digital payments for licensed businesses,” the monetary regulator explained.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) also said Friday that influencers who endorse unregistered and illegal online gambling platforms and sites may face charges.
“From a legal perspective, they are part of a conspiracy to promote illegal gambling so they are part of that criminal organization.” CICC Deputy Executive Director Asec. Renato Paraiso said.
He said the CICC is now in the process of dismantling the illegal online gambling platforms that failed to secure permits from PAGCOR and PCSO.
Paraiso warned influencers promoting illegal gambling the CICC to stop their activities.
