President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cautioned against banning online gambling, saying it would only stoke illegal operations that would be harder to arrest, as the government and stakeholders such as the Catholic Church craft a policy to address its social impact.
“The problem is not online gambling. The problems are the social effects on our children and those who are addicted to gambling,” he said in a recent BBM Podcast.
“The first effect of banning it fully is to put it underground, and then we have no control,” the President added.
He said online gambling was “not a criminal enterprise” per se.
Mr. Marcos said the government is still developing its policy on online gambling, underscoring the need for broad consultations to address its social impact especially among vulnerable sectors and young people.
“We still have to form a policy on what we are going to do about online gambling,” he said.
“To this end, I have already started to convene a conference of all stakeholders, from the Church, parents, regulators, because the victimized demographic is the youth,” he added.
He drew a comparison to the debate over Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), saying licensed operations were not the issue, but rather the illegal activities that some operators became involved in.
“POGO itself was not the problem…But it was accompanied by human trafficking, credit card scams, all sorts of things happening,” he said.
“What we are trying to solve is the social impact – people drowning in debt, kids learning how to gamble. Let’s focus on that. How can we stop these from happening?”
“These are the things that we are going to examine and we will come up with a plan to make sure that we address the problem,” the President added.
On Thursday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it is finalizing new rules that will protect consumers from the risks associated with online gambling.
Strict identity verification, including biometric checks such as facial recognition, would ensure that only eligible individuals can use their funds for online gambling, the BSP said.
Daily limits on gambling-related transfers to reduce excessive financial losses will also be included in the new rules.
The BSP said the upcoming measures would also include time-based restrictions on gambling payments to help curb impulsive behavior and user tools for setting personal spending caps, taking voluntary breaks, or self-exclusion from gambling transactions.
“These safeguards aim to reduce the risks of addiction, fraud, and financial harm, while promoting the responsible use of digital financial services,” the BSP said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called on the BSP to immediately prohibit e-wallets from connecting directly to online gambling platforms.
“If this happens, the BSP can protect many Filipinos from repeatedly falling into the trap of gambling addiction,” Gatchalian said.
At the House of Representatives, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged the government “to put an end to the silent epidemic of online gambling.”
“The numbers and stories paint a disturbing reality. Gambling, once confined to casinos and cockpits, now hides in our mobile phones – accessible 24/7 to our people, including children and the youth, often with no age restrictions, and just a click away from financial ruin. Today, any person, even a minor, can register on a gambling app, fund it through an e-wallet, and lose everything within minutes,” he said.
He cited a 2025 study by Digital Risk Observatory showing that an estimated 34 million Filipinos – roughly one in three adults – have participated in online gambling.
He said some 64 percent of surveyed users admitted to betting online, with many of them doing so daily.
“Around 30 percent of users are between the ages of 15 and 24, and many of them started playing before reaching the age of 18. Our laws and our digital systems are failing to protect our youth,” Rodriguez said.
But for Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez, 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 added that 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.
Earlier, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation chairman Alejandro Tengco warned that a total ban could cost the state over P100 billion in revenues.
Camarines Sur Rep. Nelson Legacion also welcomed the President’s plan to convene a multi-sectoral conference to draw up a comprehensive policy on online gambling, but pressed for stronger measures including a total ban on its advertising.
Legacion cited House Bill 2360, which he filed on July 28, 2025, seeking to prohibit advertisements and sponsorships for online gambling on television, print, billboards, websites, social media, and messaging apps.
But for Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Kalookan Archbishop Pablo David, normalizing the issue of gambling merely intensifies the harmful consequences of the vice.
“Responsible online gambling is a contradiction in terms,” David said.
David said the billions of pesos earned by the government from the industry come at a significant cost.
