Two lawmakers sounded the alarm over the growing reach of online gambling in the Philippines, as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) revealed during a House budget hearing that 18 to 20 million Filipinos have registered with gambling apps, with 8 to 10 million of them considered active players.
Bukidnon representative Jonathan Keith Flores warned that the sector is increasingly targeting vulnerable groups, particularly low-income earners who can place bets as low as one peso.
He urged Pagcor to take a stronger stance as regulator, saying the agency should “not be afraid to step on the toes of other agencies.”
Pagcor chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the agency is working with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and has issued warnings to social media influencers promoting illegal gambling.
Flores, however, stressed that warnings are not enough and called on Pagcor to actively shut down more illegal operators.
The lawmaker also pressed financial institutions to comply fully with BSP directives to cut ties with gambling platforms. The BSP has ordered all supervised institutions — including banks, pawnshops, money transfer firms, and e-wallets — to remove gambling app links and inform clients accordingly.
Flores cited GCash and Maya as among the most prominent players that must show accountability, along with other electronic money issuers and digital banks.
Flores expressed support for proposed BSP rules on online gambling payments but flagged concerns on weak “know-your-customer” provisions, loopholes on fake IDs, and excessive playing-time allowances of up to six hours per day.
He proposed limiting daily play to a maximum of two hours and requiring stronger safeguards such as tamper-proof transaction logs and device tracking.
Meanwhile, Manila representative Rolando Valeriano backed calls for a total ban on online gambling, arguing it would simplify law enforcement.
“If all online gambling is illegal, then all operators become targets. A total ban makes it easier to choke off cash flows and dismantle operations,” Valeriano said.
Tengco acknowledged that illegal operators could resort to “mule merchants” to disguise transactions, similar to how drug syndicates use couriers. Valeriano said artificial intelligence and advanced digital forensics should be deployed to unmask such schemes.
He also stressed that international cooperation, including through Interpol, can help track and prosecute gambling syndicates even if they operate overseas.
The House appropriations committee is expected to await the BSP’s next directive on online gambling while lawmakers debate whether to push stricter regulation or pursue an outright ban.
