Online Gambling Boom Sparks Require Ban In Philippines

Women, children and bad among 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 gamblers quit the roulette wheel or forgo the splendor of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa fought his own addiction - an enthusiasm that practically cost him his life.


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


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


"Gambling is a psychological disease. It just causes three places: prison, organization or death," stated Praferosa, who developed a support system in 2011 for Filipinos with a betting addiction.


The group, handled by 5 people, has assisted 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 worry that dependency is soaring, with ever more bettors drawn to online video games, their need accelerated by social-media advertisements and e-wallet platforms.


"The number of callers we received is 10 times more than normal. Before, callers were dominated by guys. And now they ´ re dominated by moms ... kids also," said Praferosa.


Several legislators have actually filed bills looking for restrictions on online gambling, such as prohibiting using e-wallets that make it possible for bigger, faster bets. Others want an overall restriction.


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


It represented about half of the government ´ s overall video gaming incomes 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 ban, claiming the human risks far exceed the financial benefits.


"Online betting must be stopped right away, and we need to determine what is legal or illegal. It ´ s not contributing anything to our society," stated Samson, an agent of association.


The chairman of PAGCOR, established in 1977 to manage gaming and stop unlawful casinos, turns down an overall ban and rather favors more stringent guideline.


GROWING PROBLEM


Former president Rodrigo Duterte ushered in online gambling in 2016, unlocking to primarily Chinese-owned firms that accommodated consumers outside the nation.


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and imposed a restriction on the outdoors entities last year, mentioning a "severe abuse" of laws by the industry.


However, domestic digital variations of standard gambling establishment video games, such as slot devices, poker and roulette, are still permitted and can be accessed from mobile phones.


While online gaming is legal, Samson said regulators have actually stopped working to restrict the market or control who can access these video games, as is mandated.


"They are offering Filipinos easy and convenient access to gaming. 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 revenues through popular e-payment apps that even kids can use, he said.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of video gaming sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, stated prohibiting certified operators would "drive gamers towards illegal, unregulated websites without any safeguards" along with struck some 50,000 workers in the sector.


"We are open to progressing and enhancing anywhere needed. If there are brand-new requirements to meet, or better methods to secure players, we will act swiftly and responsibly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco said in a statement.


RECOVERY


The church has decried online betting as a "moral and social crisis" and required a ban.


"It is now a public health crisis in our society, much like drug dependency, alcoholism and other types of addiction. It ruins not only the individual but likewise their households," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, stated in a pastoral letter.


He stated online gambling harms bad Filipinos who have nearly no wage or savings and youths who are already having problem with the cost of education in addition to other susceptible people.


In one Facebook healing group with more than 25,000 members, one user stated he attempted to drop in installing an online betting blocking app called Gamban however stopped working to curb his addiction.


Gamban, a software supplier based in Britain, can be set up on personal devices to obstruct online betting websites.


Gamban creator Matt Zarb-Cousin stated 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 occurrence of online gaming, legal and illegal," stated Zarb-Cousin.


He stated online casinos are related to higher rates of dependency than traditional betting, and about 80% of Gamban users play mainly slots.


"Everyone wishes to make better lives on their own, and gaming is something that can totally ruin that in a really brief area of time," said the previous gambling addict.


In countries such as Britain, the Netherlands and Norway, Gamban is complimentary. 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 lots of people needing Gamban," he said.


"Regulation, if done properly, can avoid or at the extremely least curtail 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)