Online Gambling Boom Sparks Calls For Ban In Philippines

Women, children and poor amongst victims


Lawmakers propose restrictions or overall restriction


Church lambastes 'moral and social crisis'


By Mariejo Ramos


MANILA, July 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Before assisting fellow bettors quit the live roulette wheel or give up the splendor of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa combated his own addiction - a passion that almost cost him his life.


Enthralled by the "big-shot identity" that featured early casino success in Las Vegas and later in Manila, Praferosa went on to lose 50 million pesos ($873,515) in 7 years.


He was jailed for theft to cover the financial obligation, sent to rehab centers and after that tried to take his own life.


"Gambling is an emotional disease. It only results in three locations: jail, institution or death," stated Praferosa, who developed a support group in 2011 for Filipinos with a gaming addiction.


The group, handled by 5 people, has helped more than 300 people with online everyday conferences. Its members are as young as 13 and as old as 72.


Lawmakers and the Catholic Church worry that addiction is skyrocketing, with ever more bettors drawn to online video games, their requirement sped up by social-media ads and e-wallet platforms.


"The variety of callers we got is 10 times more than usual. Before, callers were controlled by guys. Today they ´ re controlled by moms ... kids as well," stated Praferosa.


Several lawmakers have filed bills seeking restrictions on online gambling, such as restricting the usage of e-wallets that allow larger, quicker bets. Others desire an overall ban.


Online gaming has actually taken off quickly in the Philippines, with government profits from taxes and charges paid by regional operators for the first quarter approximated at 51 billion pesos, ($892 million) according to news reports citing data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the government's gaming regulator.


It represented about half of the government ´ s overall gaming earnings up until now this year.


A minimum of 80 electronic gaming operators have licences in the Philippines, according to PAGCOR.


Gian Samson, a PAGCOR worker, said he backs a straight-out restriction, declaring the human risks far outweigh the financial benefits.


"Online gaming must be stopped right away, and we must identify what is legal or illegal. It ´ s not contributing anything to our society," said Samson, an agent of PAGCOR's staff member association.


The chairman of PAGCOR, founded in 1977 to manage video gaming and stop illegal gambling establishments, turns down a total ban and rather prefers more stringent regulation.


GROWING PROBLEM


Former president Rodrigo Duterte ushered in online gaming in 2016, unlocking to mostly Chinese-owned companies that catered to customers outside the country.


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and imposed a restriction on the outside entities in 2015, mentioning a "grave abuse" of laws by the industry.


However, domestic digital variations of conventional gambling establishment video games, such as fruit machine, poker and roulette, are still allowed and can be accessed from mobile phones.


While online betting is legal, Samson said regulators have actually failed to limit the industry or control who can access these video games, as is mandated.


"They are providing Filipinos easy and hassle-free access to gambling. In simply a tap of a button, you can deplete your life savings," he stated.


Players can join a video game, then withdraw all their profits through popular e-payment apps that even children can utilize, he said.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, stated banning licensed operators would "drive gamers towards unlawful, uncontrolled sites without any safeguards" as well as struck some 50,000 workers in the sector.


"We are open to progressing and improving any place required. If there are brand-new standards to fulfill, or much better ways to protect gamers, we will act swiftly and properly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco stated in a declaration.


RECOVERY


The church has actually decried online betting as a "ethical and social crisis" and called for a ban.


"It is now a public health crisis in our society, similar to drug dependency, alcoholism and other types of dependency. It damages not just the individual however also their families," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, stated in a pastoral letter.


He said online gaming harms poor Filipinos who have nearly no income or cost savings and youths who are currently fighting with the expense of education along with other vulnerable people.


In one Facebook healing group with more than 25,000 members, one user said he attempted to visit setting up an online gaming obstructing app called Gamban but failed to suppress his dependency.


Gamban, a software company based in Britain, can be set up on personal gadgets to block online gambling websites.


Gamban creator Matt Zarb-Cousin said the Philippines is the app ´ s third-highest source of new signups, after Brazil and Britain, reflecting a surge from about 26,000 visitors in 2024 to more than 32,000 in the very first half of 2025.


"It may be driven by the occurrence of online betting, legal and unlawful," said Zarb-Cousin.


He stated online casinos are related to greater rates of addiction than traditional gaming, and about 80% of Gamban users play primarily slots.


"Everyone wishes to make better lives for themselves, and betting is something that can entirely destroy that in a very short area of time," said the former gambling addict.


In nations such as Britain, the Netherlands and Norway, Gamban is complimentary. In the Philippines, it costs $3.49 a month.


"There need to be duties positioned on betting operators to safeguard customers adequately. And in my perfect world, there wouldn't be as many individuals requiring Gamban," he said.


"Regulation, if done properly, can avoid or at the really least cut online betting substantially." (Reporting by Mariejo Ramos. Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths and Ellen Wulfhorst. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Visit https://www.context.news)