Over 50.000 jobs at risk if online gaming is banned in the Philippines, media report
A survey has found that players also oppose calls for a ban.
The Philippines.- According to industry data reported by local media, more than 50,000 jobs could be lost if proposals to ban online gaming in the Philippines are passed. Reports say that licensed online gaming platforms contributed more than PHP112bn (US$1.96bn) to the national government in 2024, with PHP16.6bn (US$287m) going for healthcare and PHP46.32bn (US$802m) as dividends to the national treasury.
PhilStar cited legal expert Tonet Quiogue, CEO of Arden Consult, who said: “The real enemy is illegal, unregulated gambling, not the licensed platforms that follow strict safeguards and contribute meaningfully to national development.
“Legal operators in the Philippines are already aligned with global best practices. They implement robust KYC, age verification, self-exclusion tools, and real-time monitoring. You ban those, and what you get is a black-market surge.”
Study shows opposition to ban among players
Meanwhile, a study of 1,250 online gambling players by research firm The Fourth Wall has found that most are opposed to a ban. Some 53 per cent oppose banning regulated online gambling, while only 18.15 per cent support it. Another 16 per cent agree with a ban but with reservations
The firm surveyed 1,250 current online gambling players from urbanised areas across Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and other key cities through a mix of online panels and in-person fieldwork.
The study shows most online gambling players are millennials from lower-income brackets, often working in blue-collar or service jobs. Most migrated from informal or unregulated street gambling environments such as cockfights, perya, or social media betting. Only a small fraction (7 per cent) came from land-based casinos.
The survey found that safety and legitimacy were top priorities for players, who said they look for platforms that are legitimate in order to avoid scams and emphasised the need for trustworthy platforms and effective regulation to guard against cheating and illegal gambling.
Opposition to banning regulated online gambling was strongest among former cockfighting and perya gamblers. Some 75 per cent of players believed that a ban would not stop online gambling and would simply drive people toward illegal sites and social betting.
Vice president Sara Duterte has come out against online gambling as calls for a ban grow among Philippine politicians. She said that digital platforms make gambling too accessible, leading to rapid financial losses and worsening family debt.
Meanwhile, finance secretary Ralph Recto has made the case for raising taxes and tightening regulations on online gambling operators rather than a ban, and senator Sherwin Gatchalian has also filed a bill proposing tighter restrictions without a full ban.
