PAGCOR bucks total ban as opposition to online gambling grows
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is moving to regulate the advertisements of online gambling sites as opposition to these snowballed.
PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco bucked a total ban on online gambling but said stricter regulation is needed.
He said PAGCOR will team up with the Ad Standards Council to “regulate all outdoor billboards that have suddenly appeared like mushrooms.”
Among the proposed regulations are tighter restrictions on billboard dimensions and a possible ban on airing ads during prime time hours from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tengco said in a dzMM interview on Tuesday.
More lawmakers and Church leaders, however, are calling for either a total ban or more stringent regulations.
In a pastoral letter, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Kalookan Archbishop Pablo Virgilio David said: “This trend is particularly alarming as it appears to be fostering an unhealthy obsession among the youth, many of whom are increasingly engaging in these activities through their mobile phones.”
“We are concerned that there seems to be a new plague or virus spreading and destroying every individual and family. It is silently spreading and enslaving,” he added.
At the Upper House, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri warned taxation alone will not address the harmful effects of online gambling following the Department of Finance’s proposed new taxes and regulations aimed at limiting access to digital gambling platforms.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito added: “In times of crisis, people are deceived by promises of instant money. But in return, they face debt, shame, and the destruction of their families.”
Ejercito likewise urged the National Telecommunications Commission to allow families to request the blocking of gambling sites in efforts to shield vulnerable loved ones.
Senator Risa Hontiveros echoed these concerns and filed a bill that would prohibit online gambling access through e-wallets and super apps.
Hontiveros said smartphones have effectively become digital casinos, making gambling too accessible for ordinary Filipinos.
Tengco, however, said problems arise from illegal online gambling sites and not the ones licensed by PAGCOR.
“There are so many illegal sites that continue to operate. The proliferation of illegal online operators is our main problem, and unfortunately these are based in other countries and their target customers are Filipinos,” Tengco said.
“Regulation is the key and the answer, not a total ban,” he added.
For his part, Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez said an outright ban will affect over 40,000 Filipino workers dependent on regulated online gaming sites.
“Banning online gambling won’t make it disappear.. it just sends it underground. Right now, over 40,000 Filipino workers depend directly on regulated online gambling platforms. These are real people with real families, relying on these jobs for food, education, healthcare, and a better life,” Benitez said.
Benitez said regulated online gambling generates more than P200 billion every year.
“That money doesn’t vanish – it goes directly into hospitals, schools, infrastructure projects, community programs, and social services that improve our daily lives,” he said.
“Legal, regulated platforms keep gambling transparent and accountable. They verify ages to protect minors, ensure games are fair, prevent exploitation, and help spot and support people struggling with gambling addiction early, something impossible with underground operators,” Benitez added.
Malacañang, for its part, said the Marcos administration is reviewing proposals to tighten policies and regulate the promotion of the online gambling industry, particularly on social media platforms.
“The President sympathizes with the families affected by this kind of gambling, especially when a member of the household becomes addicted,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
“The President is looking into this carefully to develop a more effective policy on online gambling,” she added.
