Online Gambling Boom Sparks Calls For Ban In Philippines

Women, kids and bad amongst victims


Lawmakers propose constraints or overall ban


Church lambastes 'ethical and social crisis'


By Mariejo Ramos


MANILA, July 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Before helping fellow gamblers quit the roulette wheel or forgo the splendor of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa battled his own dependency - a passion that almost cost him his life.


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


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


"Gambling is an emotional disease. It only results in 3 locations: prison, institution or death," stated Praferosa, who created an assistance group in 2011 for Filipinos with a betting dependency.


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


Lawmakers and the Catholic Church stress that addiction is soaring, with ever more bettors drawn to online video games, their need accelerated by social-media ads and e-wallet platforms.


"The variety of callers we got is 10 times more than typical. Before, callers were dominated by guys. Today they ´ re dominated by mothers ... kids too," said Praferosa.


Several lawmakers have actually submitted expenses seeking limitations on online gambling, such as prohibiting the use of e-wallets that allow bigger, quicker bets. Others desire an overall restriction.


Online gambling has taken off rapidly in the Philippines, with government incomes from taxes and charges paid by local operators for the very first quarter estimated at 51 billion pesos, ($892 million) according to news reports pointing out data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the government's video gaming regulator.


It accounted for about half of the federal government ´ s overall gaming profits up until now this year.


At least 80 electronic video gaming operators have licences in the Philippines, according to PAGCOR.


Gian Samson, a PAGCOR employee, said he backs an outright restriction, claiming the human threats far surpass the financial benefits.


"Online betting need to be stopped immediately, and we should identify what is legal or prohibited. It ´ s not contributing anything to our society," stated Samson, an agent of PAGCOR's worker association.


The chairman of PAGCOR, established in 1977 to regulate video gaming and stop prohibited gambling establishments, turns down a total ban and instead favors stricter policy.


GROWING PROBLEM


Former president Rodrigo Duterte ushered in online betting in 2016, unlocking to mostly Chinese-owned companies that dealt with consumers outside the country.


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and imposed a ban on the outside entities last year, pointing out a "severe abuse" of laws by the industry.


However, domestic digital variations of traditional casino video games, such as slots, poker and roulette, are still permitted and can be accessed from mobile devices.


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


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


Players can join a game, then withdraw all their earnings through popular e-payment apps that even kids can utilize, he stated.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of video gaming sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, said prohibiting certified operators would "drive gamers towards unlawful, uncontrolled sites with no safeguards" in addition to struck some 50,000 employees in the sector.


"We are open to evolving and improving wherever needed. If there are new standards to satisfy, or much better methods to protect players, we will act quickly and responsibly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco said in a declaration.


RECOVERY


The church has 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 addiction, alcoholism and other types of addiction. It damages not only the individual but likewise their families," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said in a pastoral letter.


He stated online gambling harms bad Filipinos who have nearly no wage or cost savings and youths who are already dealing with the expense of education along with other vulnerable individuals.


In one Facebook recovery group with more than 25,000 members, one user said he attempted to drop in setting up an online betting blocking app called Gamban however failed to curb his addiction.


Gamban, a software provider based in Britain, can be set up on individual gadgets to obstruct online betting sites.


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


"It may be driven by the prevalence of online gaming, legal and unlawful," stated Zarb-Cousin.


He said online gambling establishments are associated with higher rates of addiction than standard betting, and about 80% of Gamban users play mostly slots.


"Everyone wants to make much better lives for themselves, and betting is something that can totally ruin that in a very short area of time," said the former gaming addict.


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


"There must be obligations put on gambling operators to protect consumers adequately. And in my perfect world, there wouldn't be as numerous people requiring Gamban," he said.


"Regulation, if done effectively, can avoid or at the minimum curtail online gambling significantly." (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)