Online gambling boom sparks calls for ban in Philippines

GMA Network

3 days ago

MANILA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — Before helping fellow gamblers quit the roulette wheel or forgo the glory of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa fought his own addiction—a passion that almost cost him his life.
Enthralled by the "big-shot identity" that came with early casino victories in Las Vegas and later in Manila, Praferosa went on to lose P50 million ($873,515) in seven years.
He was jailed for theft to cover the debt, sent to rehabilitation centers and then tried to take his own life.
"Gambling is an emotional disease. It only leads to three places: jail, institution or death," said Praferosa, who created a support group in 2011 for Filipinos with a gambling addiction.
The group, managed by five people, has helped more than 300 people with online daily meetings. Its members are as young as 13 and as old as 72.
Lawmakers and the Catholic Church worry that addiction is soaring, with ever more gamblers drawn to online games, their need accelerated by social-media ads and e-wallet platforms.
"The number of callers we received is 10 times more than usual. Before, callers were dominated by men. But now they're dominated by mothers... children as well," said Praferosa.
Several lawmakers have filed bills seeking restrictions on online gambling, such as prohibiting the use of e-wallets that enable bigger, faster bets. Others want a total ban.
Online gambling has taken off quickly in the Philippines, with government revenues from taxes and fees paid by local operators for the first quarter estimated at P51 billion ($892 million), according to news reports citing data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the government's gaming regulator.
It accounted for about half of the government's total gaming revenues so far this year.
At least 80 electronic gaming operators have licenses in the Philippines, according to PAGCOR.
Gian Samson, a PAGCOR employee, said he backs an outright ban, claiming the human risks far outweigh the economic benefits.
"Online gambling must be stopped immediately, and we should determine what is legal or illegal. It's not contributing anything to our society," said Samson, a representative of PAGCOR's employee association.
The chairman of PAGCOR, founded in 1977 to regulate gaming and stop illegal casinos, rejects a total ban and instead favors stricter regulation.
Growing problem
Former President Rodrigo Duterte ushered in online gambling in 2016, opening the door to mostly Chinese-owned firms that catered to customers outside the country.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and imposed a ban on the outside entities last year, citing a "grave abuse" of laws by the industry.
However, domestic digital versions of traditional casino games, such as slot machines, poker and roulette, are still permitted and can be accessed from mobile devices.
While online gambling is legal, Samson said regulators have failed to limit the industry or control who can access these games, as is mandated.
"They are giving Filipinos easy and convenient access to gambling. In just a tap of a button, you can deplete your life savings," he said.
Players can join a game, then withdraw all their earnings through popular e-payment apps that even children can use, he said.
DigiPlus Interactive, operator of gaming sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, said banning licensed operators would "drive players toward illegal, unregulated sites with no safeguards" as well as hit some 50,000 workers in the sector.
"We are open to evolving and improving wherever needed. If there are new standards to meet, or better ways to protect players, we will act swiftly and responsibly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco said in a statement.
Recovery
The church has decried online gambling as a "moral and social crisis" and called for a ban.
"It is now a public health crisis in our society, just like drug addiction, alcoholism and other types of addiction. It destroys not only the person but also their families," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said in a pastoral letter.
He said online gambling hurts poor Filipinos who have almost no salary or savings and young people who are already struggling with the cost of education as well as other vulnerable people.
In one Facebook recovery group with more than 25,000 members, one user said he tried to stop by installing an online gambling blocking app called Gamban but failed to curb his addiction.
Gamban, a software provider based in Britain, can be installed on personal devices to block online gambling sites.
Gamban founder 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 first half of 2025.
"It may be driven by the prevalence of online gambling, legal and illegal," said Zarb-Cousin.
He said online casinos are associated with higher rates of addiction than traditional gambling, and about 80% of Gamban users play mostly slots.
"Everyone wants to make better lives for themselves, and gambling is something that can completely destroy that in a very short space of time," said the former gambling addict.
In countries such as Britain, the Netherlands and Norway, Gamban is free. In the Philippines, it costs $3.49 a month.
"There must be responsibilities placed on gambling operators to protect consumers sufficiently. And in my ideal world, there wouldn't be as many people needing Gamban," he said.
"Regulation, if done properly, can prevent or at the very least curtail online gambling significantly." — Reuters