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 assisting fellow bettors stopped the live roulette wheel or give up the splendor of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa fought his own dependency - a passion that nearly cost him his life.


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


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


"Gambling is a psychological illness. It only causes 3 locations: jail, institution or death," said Praferosa, who created an assistance group in 2011 for Filipinos with a gambling dependency.


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 gamblers drawn to online games, their need accelerated by social-media ads and e-wallet platforms.


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


Several lawmakers have submitted bills seeking restrictions on online gaming, such as prohibiting using e-wallets that allow larger, much faster bets. Others desire an overall ban.


Online gaming has taken off quickly in the Philippines, with federal government earnings from taxes and costs paid by regional operators for the very first quarter approximated at 51 billion pesos, ($892 million) according to report mentioning information from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the government's video gaming regulator.


It represented about half of the government ´ s total video gaming incomes up until now this year.


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


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


"Online gambling must be stopped immediately, and we should determine what is legal or prohibited. It ´ s not contributing anything to our society," stated Samson, a representative of PAGCOR's staff member association.


The chairman of PAGCOR, established in 1977 to regulate video gaming and stop illegal gambling establishments, turns down an overall restriction and rather prefers stricter policy.


GROWING PROBLEM


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


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


However, domestic digital versions of traditional gambling establishment games, such as slots, poker and roulette, are still permitted and can be accessed from mobile devices.


While online betting is legal, Samson stated regulators have failed to restrict the market or control who can access these video games, as is mandated.


"They are providing Filipinos easy and practical 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 earnings through popular e-payment apps that even children can use, he said.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of video gaming sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, stated banning certified operators would "drive gamers toward unlawful, unregulated websites with no safeguards" in addition to hit some 50,000 employees in the sector.


"We are open to progressing and improving anywhere needed. If there are new requirements to fulfill, or better ways to safeguard gamers, we will act promptly and properly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco said 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, simply like drug addiction, alcoholism and other kinds of addiction. It damages not just the individual however likewise their households," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said in a pastoral letter.


He said online gambling injures poor Filipinos who have practically no income or cost savings and youths who are currently having problem with the cost of education along with other susceptible individuals.


In one Facebook healing group with more than 25,000 members, one user stated he tried to visit setting up an online gambling blocking app called Gamban but stopped working to curb his addiction.


Gamban, a software application provider based in Britain, can be set up on personal devices to obstruct online gambling sites.


Matt Zarb-Cousin said the Philippines is the app ´ s third-highest source of brand-new signups, after Brazil and Britain, showing 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 frequency of online gaming, legal and unlawful," stated Zarb-Cousin.


He stated online casinos are related to greater rates of addiction than conventional betting, and about 80% of Gamban users play mainly slots.


"Everyone wishes to make better lives on their own, and betting is something that can totally damage that in a very short area 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 need to be responsibilities placed on gambling operators to protect customers sufficiently. And in my perfect world, there wouldn't be as many individuals needing Gamban," he said.


"Regulation, if done effectively, can avoid or at least reduce online betting 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)