Proposed ban on online gambling needs thorough study – Palace

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

EASY MONEY. An online gambling advertisement is displayed along EDSA in Quezon City on July 8, 2025. Malacañang on Friday (Aug. 1, 2025) said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not act in haste on the growing calls to impose a total ban on online gambling, as he sees the need for a thorough study on the potential impact of the proposal on the country. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not act in haste on the growing calls to impose a total ban on online gambling, as he sees the need for a thorough study on the potential impact of the proposal on the country, Malacañang said on Friday.

This was after some lawmakers expressed disappointment over Marcos’ alleged failure to discuss the issue of online gaming during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro cited the need to determine the root of the online gambling addiction problem.

“Dapat muna po malaman natin saan ba nanggagaling yung kamalian. Doon ba sa license, online gambling app o doon sa mga hindi lisensyado. So, dapat malaman natin kung saan ba nagugumon ang ating mga kababayan sa sugal, doon ba sa mga illegal na gambling app (We must first know where the problem lies. Is it in the license, online gambling app or in the unlicensed sites. So, we must know where our countrymen are getting addicted to gambling, if it is because of the illegal gambling apps),” Castro said.

Calls to regulate online gambling are mounting, amid concerns over the rise in Filipinos getting hooked on gaming sites.

Castro said the possible impact of the proposal on the Philippine economy must also be taken into consideration.

“Dapat ito, araling mabuti, ano ba ang dapat gawin dahil pagka nga tinanggal natin agad-agad ang online gambling at maapektuhan ang ibang mga lisensyado, makakapekto ba ito sa tulong sa bayan, sa tulong sa mga estudyante, sa tulong sa mga Pilipino (This should be studied carefully, what should be done because if we immediately remove online gambling and other licensees are affected, it will affect the assistance to the country, students, and Filipinos),” she said.

“So, hindi po pwedeng magpadalus-dalos ang Pangulo dito. Dapat aralin po dahil sa totoo lamang po ang mga revenue po na binibigay ng mga lisensyado ng online gambling ay nakakabigay ng tulong sa mga mamamayan (the President cannot act in haste here. It should be studied because in reality, the revenues provided by the licensees of online gambling provide assistance to the citizens).”

Gross gaming revenue reached PHP410 billion in 2024, with e-games and e-bingo generating PHP154.41 billion or a 165 percent year-on-year increase, data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) showed.

PAGCOR has already ordered the immediate dismantling of all billboards and out-of-home (OOH) gambling advertisements in its intensified efforts to regulate gambling-related promotions in public spaces.

It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Standards Council (ASC) for the regulation and pre-screening of gambling-related advertisements across all media platforms.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center has also directed social media influencers to take down content promoting illegal online gaming platforms.

To date, the DICT has already taken down around 7,000 unauthorized online gaming sites identified by PAGCOR.