BSP sets 48-hour deadline; GCash, Maya vow to abide
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday ordered electronic wallets, including GCash and Maya, to sever links to online gambling platforms within 48 hours.
“We ordered them today [to remove links to online gambling] within 48 hours,” BSP Deputy Governor Memento Tangonan said during yesterday’s hearing of the Senate Games and Amusement Committee, chaired by Senator Erwin Tulfo.
“The Monetary Board has approved our policy that we order or direct the BSP supervising institutions to take down and remove all icons and links redirecting to gambling sites,” Tangonan added.
PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco, for his part, committed to submit the list of all licensed e-gambling operators and their owners to the Senate committee.
GCash and Maya assured lawmakers they would comply with the BSP order.
“We share the BSP’s commitment to ensuring that digital financial services are used responsibly and in ways that protect the welfare of Filipinos. Once we receive the official directive, we will immediately enforce the necessary changes to ensure compliance and safeguard our users,” GCash said in a statement.
“The update will be implemented in line with the BSP’s guidance. We assure customers that their accounts and transactions remain secure and fully operational. We remain focused on serving our customers while fully complying with regulatory requirements,” Maya said in a separate statement.
Senators, however, questioned why the unlinking would take 48 hours to implement.
Senator Joel Villanueva said 48 hours “is not acceptable.”
“We want to protect the public — people are already dying. Numbers don’t lie,” Villanueva said.
Tangonan explained BSP’s supervising institutions would need time to take down in-app links and icons to online gambling sites.
“The other reason is so that we can also provide time for the customers, consumers to withdraw their funds from the online gaming account once they learn that we are already removing the links from the mobile payment applications and websites,” Tangonan said.
Tulfo, committee chairperson, warned Tangonan he will be cited in contempt if e-wallet providers still have links to e-gambling apps by Sunday morning.
“Don’t take this committee lightly. We have a crisis, and if there are still games in e-wallets on Sunday morning, we will cite you in contempt,” he said.
“If you ask us, we want to stop online gambling right here, right now. But we will hear every side,” Tulfo added.
During yesterday’s hearing, Villanueva cited harrowing cases, including a woman who lost millions of pesos, sold her home, and maxed out credit cards due to addiction; as well as a 19-year-old student buried in more than half a million pesos in gambling debt.
“Every day, people are not just risking their hard-earned money. They are putting their futures, families, and lives on the line. The lure of instant wealth has already led many down a path of addiction, debt, and despair,” he said.
Senator Pia Cayetano, who is seeking a total ban on online gambling, noted that a 2023 nationwide survey revealed that 66 percent of Filipinos aged 18 to 24 engaged in online gambling.
“There are also reports that online gambling is linked to money laundering, cybercrimes, and other illicit activities. There are also numerous reports of families being affected by online gambling. There are rising cases of gambling addiction and mental health issues, particularly among the youth and vulnerable population,” Cayetano said.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri described the situation as a national crisis, pointing to a 5,564 percent surge in online gambling revenues from P8 billion in 2022 to P135.71 billion in 2024, with over P106 billion already in the first half of 2025.
He said the figures reflect not just profits but broken families, drained savings, and lives lost.
Tengco, however, has been lukewarm to proposals for a total ban on online gambling.
“If properly regulated, online gaming can be a major contributor to government services and economic development,” he said in an interview in July.
