Online Gambling Boom Sparks Calls For Ban In Philippines

Women, children and poor among victims


Lawmakers propose constraints or overall restriction


Church lambastes 'ethical and social crisis'


By Mariejo Ramos


MANILA, July 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Before helping fellow gamblers quit the roulette wheel or pass up the glory of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa combated his own a passion that nearly cost him his life.


Enthralled by the "big-shot identity" that came with early casino triumphes in Las Vegas and later on in Manila, Praferosa went on to lose 50 million pesos ($873,515) in 7 years.


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


"Gambling is an emotional disease. It only leads to three places: jail, organization or death," said Praferosa, who produced a support system in 2011 for Filipinos with a gambling dependency.


The group, managed by five people, has actually helped more than 300 individuals with online day-to-day conferences. Its members are as young as 13 and as old as 72.


Lawmakers and the Catholic Church fret that addiction is soaring, with ever more bettors 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 normal. Before, callers were dominated by guys. And now they ´ re dominated by mothers ... children also," said Praferosa.


Several lawmakers have filed costs looking for restrictions on online betting, such as prohibiting using e-wallets that allow larger, faster bets. Others want a total ban.


Online betting has taken off quickly in the Philippines, with government profits from taxes and costs paid by local operators for the very first quarter estimated at 51 billion pesos, ($892 million) according to report pointing out data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the federal government's video gaming regulator.


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


A minimum of 80 electronic gaming operators have licences in the Philippines, according to PAGCOR.


Gian Samson, a PAGCOR employee, said he backs a straight-out restriction, declaring the human dangers far surpass the financial benefits.


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


The chairman of PAGCOR, established in 1977 to manage video gaming and stop illegal casinos, rejects a total ban and rather prefers more stringent guideline.


GROWING PROBLEM


Former president Rodrigo Duterte introduced online gaming in 2016, unlocking to mainly Chinese-owned firms that accommodated clients outside the nation.


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and enforced a restriction on the outdoors entities last year, pointing out a "grave abuse" of laws by the market.


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


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


"They are offering Filipinos simple and practical access to gaming. In simply a tap of a button, you can deplete your life cost savings," he said.


Players can sign up with a game, then withdraw all their incomes through popular e-payment apps that even kids can use, he stated.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of video gaming websites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, said banning certified operators would "drive players towards illegal, uncontrolled websites with no safeguards" along with struck some 50,000 workers in the sector.


"We are open to evolving and enhancing any place required. If there are new requirements to meet, or much better ways to secure players, we will act promptly and responsibly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco stated in a declaration.


RECOVERY


The church has decried online betting as a "ethical and social crisis" and required a restriction.


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


He stated online gaming injures bad Filipinos who have practically no income or savings and youths who are already fighting with the expense of education in addition to other vulnerable individuals.


In one Facebook recovery group with more than 25,000 members, one user said he tried to drop in installing an online gaming obstructing app called Gamban however stopped working to curb his dependency.


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


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 very first half of 2025.


"It might be driven by the frequency of online gambling, legal and prohibited," said Zarb-Cousin.


He said online casinos are associated with greater rates of addiction than traditional gambling, and about 80% of Gamban users play mostly slots.


"Everyone wishes to make much better lives for themselves, and gaming is something that can completely ruin that in a very short area of time," said the previous gambling addict.


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


"There must be responsibilities put on gambling operators to protect customers adequately. And in my ideal world, there wouldn't be as numerous people needing Gamban," he stated.


"Regulation, if done correctly, can avoid or at the really least reduce online gambling 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)