Licensed operators warn vs total online gambling ban

MANILA, Philippines —  Licensed online gaming operators in the country believe that a total ban on online gambling will do more harm than good.

In a joint statement, 14 online gaming operators warned that total prohibition will not stop Filipinos from playing, but will only push millions of players to the black market where unlicensed and unregulated operators thrive.

“Prohibition does not erase online gaming. It only erases the safeguards that protect the Filipino people,” the group said.

“The reality is clear: players will continue to play. The choice is whether they do so on secure, licensed platforms that follow regulations, or on black-market sites that answer to no one,” they added.

The online gaming operators opposing the total ban on online gambling are World Platinum Technologies Inc., AB Leisure Exponent, Inc., Total Gamezone Xtreme Inc., Gamemaster Integrated Inc., Lucky Taya Gaming Corp., Stotsenberg Leisure Park & Hotel Corp., Igo Digital High Technology Inc., Megabet Corp., Gavin Ventures Inc., Gotech Entertainment Inc., Meta Interactive Software Solutions Inc., Nextstage Entertainment Inc., Webzoid System Solutions Corp. and Trojan Wells Entertainment Corp.

The group said that it stands united with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) as well as lawmakers to call for stronger regulation and not a total ban to keep Filipino players safe and the country’s economy thriving.

Instead of a ban that would simply push players into the shadows, the group is urging lawmakers to strengthen what already works – tighter age and identity verification, clear limits for at-risk players, stronger anti-money laundering safeguards, faster site takedowns for illegal operators as well as expanded public education on player rights and responsible play.

“Let’s be clear: the real enemy is not regulated gaming. It is the rise of illegal operators who put profits over Filipino welfare. Legal operators do not fear tougher rules, they welcome them. What they fear is surrendering our digital future to the black market,” it said.

According to the group, the licensed online gaming sector in the country already enforces some of the strictest protections in Asia.

These include enforcement of strict know-your-customer and multi-factor authentication, checking of players against PAGCOR’s national database of restricted persons, requiring all players to be 21 or older and providing self-exclusion tools and real-time monitoring for at-risk behaviors, among others.

Tighter regulation

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian welcomed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s proposal to put a daily cap on fund transfers as well as a “cooling off” period after “heavy usage” of online gambling payment service.

“The BSP’s decisive action to tighten online gambling payment rules is a monumental step toward the responsible use of digital services, affirming the urgent need to strictly regulate online gambling. Daily caps, time limits and biometric verification can help curb the alarming rise of gambling addiction, especially among the youth,” Gatchalian said.

In his proposed bill to regulate online gambling, Gatchalian said he wants to put safeguards such as registration of operators with the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

“All branches of government should unite to defeat the scourge that is online gambling,” he said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros welcomed the joint statement of Solaire Resort, Newport World Resorts and Okada Manila that their online gambling platforms are compliant with the law and they promote “responsible gaming.”

“If big casinos say they are following regulations, that’s well and good. That means there should be no issue if we tighten access to online gambling. What’s clear is that our laws are being left behind by the rapid pace of technology. That’s why we’ve filed a bill to limit access to online gambling, particularly in e-wallets and super apps,” Hontiveros said.

She questioned why digital wallet companies and other applications are “silent” to “complaints pointing to how phones have made online gambling too easy to access.”

“I hope that they would also take steps to self-regulate,” Hontiveros noted.

Hontiveros said she filed a bill for an outright ban because “too many lives have been ruined” and “too many families have been hurt” by online gambling.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, for her part, commended the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center for going after influencers and pressuring them to take down their online gambling content.

“Their coordination with social media platforms shows a clear intent to enforce accountability,” Cayetano said.

Mental health

Aside from destroying the livelihood of countless families, online gambling also severely affects Filipinos’ mental health, a lawmaker warned.

“The online gambling industry has grown unchecked in recent years. It is now contributing to a mental health and financial crisis in our society and the government can no longer afford to take a hands-off approach,” Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

To address the matter, Ridon filed House Resolution 48, urging the Marcos administration to impose “stricter regulations” on online gambling, amid alarming increases in gambling addiction and growing social and economic harms linked to mobile betting platforms.

In the resolution, Ridon called on the BSP to prohibit the use of e-payment platforms such as GCash and Maya, as well as banking apps for any online gambling-related transactions, including cash-in payments to gambling operators.

Ridon emphasized that stricter regulations are essential to prevent youth and low-income families from falling into gambling traps due to easy digital access.  – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Delon Porcalla, EJ Macababbad