The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered mobile payment platforms, including GCash and Maya, to cut access to in-app gaming within 48 hours, amid mounting concerns in the Senate over the social costs of online gambling.
BSP Memorandum No. M-2025-029 directs all BSP-supervised institutions to suspend gaming features embedded in payment apps and websites.
Following the order, GCash announced it will disable access to gaming via its GLife service starting 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 16.
Users can withdraw funds from their gaming accounts to their GCash wallet only until that time, after which remaining balances must be accessed directly through the gaming merchants’ own websites.
The directive came as the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement opened hearings on what lawmakers described as an “online gambling crisis.”
Committee chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo warned BSP deputy governor Mamerto Tangonan he could be cited for contempt if gambling links remain accessible after Sunday, August 17.
“If I see a single link to gambling apps, I will cite you in contempt. The committee is serious — we have a problem, we have a crisis,” Tulfo said.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, on the other hand, criticized the BSP for delaying its action until the day of the hearing and questioned the need for a 48-hour grace period, saying removal of gambling links could be done immediately.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, for his part, reported that online gambling revenues have soared 5,564% from 2020 to 2024, climbing from ₱8 billion in 2022 to ₱135.71 billion in 2024, with ₱106.53 billion already recorded in the first half of 2025.
He linked the surge to the ease of betting through e-wallets, which are used by a majority of Filipinos, noting the Philippines now has more casinos than any other Asian country.
He recounted cases of suicides, murders, and thefts tied to gambling debts — including incidents in Bukidnon, Cebu, and Benguet — and cited rehab data showing that 7 out of 10 patients in some facilities are now seeking treatment for online gambling addiction.
Zubiri emphasized that unlike casino gambling, which mainly attracts high-income bettors, online gambling often preys on wage earners, students, and low-income households.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also called for government agencies, especially Pagcor and BSP, to coordinate more closely and backed her pending Kontra E-Sugal Bill, which seeks to ban online gambling links in e-wallets and super apps.
Tulfo said the Senate is leaning toward a full ban, arguing that “social ills outweigh the income benefits” of online gambling. However, he said the committee would hear all sides before finalizing its recommendation.
The hearings are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with lawmakers seeking “clear and concise” solutions from BSP, Pagcor, and other agencies to address what they call an escalating public health and social crisis.
