Online Gambling Boom Sparks Require Ban In Philippines

Women, kids and bad amongst victims


Lawmakers propose restrictions or overall restriction


Church lambastes 'moral and social crisis'


By Mariejo Ramos


MANILA, July 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Before helping fellow gamblers stopped the live roulette wheel or give up the glory of a royal flush in poker, Filipino Reagan Praferosa battled his own addiction - a passion that almost cost him his life.


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


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


"Gambling is an emotional illness. It just leads to 3 places: jail, institution or death," stated Praferosa, who produced a support system in 2011 for Filipinos with a betting addiction.


The group, managed by 5 individuals, has actually assisted more than 300 individuals with online daily meetings. Its members are as young as 13 and as old as 72.


Lawmakers and the Catholic Church stress that dependency is soaring, with ever more bettors drawn to online games, their need accelerated by social-media ads and e-wallet platforms.


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


Several lawmakers have filed costs looking for constraints on online betting, such as restricting making use of e-wallets that enable larger, much faster bets. Others desire an overall restriction.


Online betting has taken off rapidly in the Philippines, with federal government profits from taxes and charges paid by regional operators for the very first quarter estimated at 51 billion pesos, ($892 million) according to news reports pointing out information from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the federal government's gaming regulator.


It represented about half of the federal government ´ s overall gaming profits so far this year.


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


Gian Samson, a PAGCOR worker, stated he backs an outright restriction, declaring the human threats far outweigh the financial benefits.


"Online gaming need to be stopped instantly, and we must determine what is legal or illegal. It ´ s not contributing anything to our society," stated Samson, an agent of PAGCOR's worker association.


The chairman of PAGCOR, founded in 1977 to regulate gaming and stop prohibited casinos, turns down an overall ban and instead prefers more stringent policy.


GROWING PROBLEM


Former president Rodrigo Duterte introduced online gambling in 2016, unlocking to mainly Chinese-owned firms that dealt with consumers outside the country.


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reversed track and imposed a ban on the outside entities in 2015, citing a "serious abuse" of laws by the industry.


However, domestic digital versions of standard gambling establishment games, such as fruit machine, poker and roulette, are still allowed and can be accessed from mobile gadgets.


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


"They are giving Filipinos simple 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 utilize, he stated.


DigiPlus Interactive, operator of video gaming sites BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, said banning licensed operators would "drive players toward illegal, unregulated sites with no safeguards" in addition to struck some 50,000 employees in the sector.


"We are open to developing and enhancing anywhere needed. If there are brand-new standards to satisfy, or better methods to safeguard gamers, we will act swiftly and responsibly," DigiPlus Chair Eusebio Tanco stated in a statement.


RECOVERY


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


"It is now a public health crisis in our society, similar to drug addiction, alcohol addiction and other kinds of addiction. It damages not only the individual however also their families," Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, stated in a pastoral letter.


He said online betting harms bad Filipinos who have nearly no salary or cost savings and young individuals who are currently dealing with the cost of education in addition to other susceptible people.


In one Facebook recovery group with more than 25,000 members, one user said he attempted to come by installing an online gambling blocking app called Gamban but stopped working to suppress his dependency.


Gamban, a software company based in Britain, can be installed on individual devices to block online gaming sites.


Gamban founder Matt Zarb-Cousin stated the Philippines is the app ´ s third-highest source of new signups, after Brazil and Britain, reflecting a rise 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 prevalence of online betting, legal and illegal," stated Zarb-Cousin.


He stated online gambling establishments are associated with greater rates of dependency than conventional gaming, and about 80% of Gamban users play primarily slots.


"Everyone wishes to make better lives on their own, and betting is something that can totally damage that in a really brief area of time," stated the former gaming addict.


In countries such as Britain, the Netherlands and Norway, Gamban is totally free. In the Philippines, it costs $3.49 a month.


"There need to be responsibilities placed on gambling operators to safeguard customers adequately. And in my perfect world, there would not be as lots of people requiring Gamban," he stated.


"Regulation, if done correctly, can prevent or at the really least reduce online gaming considerably." (Reporting by Mariejo Ramos. Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths and Ellen Wulfhorst. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Reuters. Visit https://www.context.news)