Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to immediately prohibit e-wallets from connecting directly to online gambling platforms, warning of the growing social risks tied to digital betting access.
“If this happens, the BSP can protect many Filipinos from repeatedly falling into the trap of gambling addiction,” Gatchalian said.
His remarks followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement opposing a total ban on online gambling, citing fears the industry would go underground and become unregulated.
The senator emphasized that many Filipinos, including minors, fall into gambling traps because of how easily they can access these platforms through apps linked to their e-wallets.
Gatchalian argued that while the President prefers regulation over prohibition, the BSP could still act within its mandate to limit the exposure of vulnerable individuals to online gambling.
The senator warned that allowing the current setup to persist would further expose youth and financially struggling families to harmful gambling behavior.
Gatchalian recently filed legislation seeking to tighten regulations on the online gambling industry, specifically by restricting the role of electronic money issuers in its ecosystem.
His proposal includes a provision that would prohibit non-bank e-wallet services from linking their platforms to gambling sites through URLs, embedded links, app integrations, or any similar method.
Gatchalian argued that removing these access points is a crucial step in curbing digital gambling addiction among Filipinos.
President Marcos, in his recent podcast, acknowledged the growing harm of online gambling but argued that the activity itself is not the problem.
Instead, he said the focus should be on mitigating the social consequences, particularly the impact on children and those addicted to gambling.
He said a government dialogue with stakeholders will be initiated to develop targeted interventions addressing these societal risks.
