Illegal online gambling sites rising; Globe blocks over 1K sites

Globe said a total of 1,345 domains in its network were blocked, a 967 percent increase from the same quarter last year when 126 sites were barred. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA – Telecommunications firm Globe Telecom Inc. (Globe) has noted a 967 percent increase in the number of illegal online gambling sites it blocked in the first quarter of 2024.

Globe said a total of 1,345 domains in its network were blocked, a 967 percent increase from the same quarter last year when 126 sites were barred.

“Of the total, 260 sites were blocked in January, 855 in February, and 230 in March,” Globe said in a statement Monday.

It took note of the massive annual increase of blocked illegal gambling sites from only 52 sites in 2021, 396 in 2022, and 4,237 in 2023.

Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s chief information security officer, said illegal online gambling can have “devastating financial and social consequences” and expose their users to potential fraud, malware, and cybercrime.

“We have an ethical obligation to make the internet safer and are continuing our relentless push to identify and prevent access to these unlawful sites on our network,” Bonifacio said.

Anti-illegal gambling efforts include network-level blocking measures and the deployment of content filtering systems.

To date, he said Globe invested USD2.

7 million for advanced content filtering infrastructure capable of detecting and restricting websites and imagery that promote illegal content such as illegal gambling, child pornography and online piracy.

“This forms a key pillar of the company’s aggressive #MakeITSafePH program to foster a secure online environment,” he said.