Philippine government insists it won’t rush to decision on online gambling restrictions
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. believes the issue must be studied carefully.
The Philippines.- The Philippine government has stressed that it will not rush into a decision regarding a possible ban on online gambling. Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro has said that president Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. believes the issue must be studied carefully to understand the full implications.
“We must first identify where the problem lies, whether in the licenses, the apps, or the unlicensed sites,” Castro said during a press briefing. She stressed that revenues generated by licensed operators had contributed to public aid programmes.
Some lawmakers voiced disappointment after President Marcos failed to address the matter during his recent State of the Nation Address. However, Senate President Francis Escudero defended the omission, noting that public hearings are expected.
The the country’s online game industry generated over US$2bn in gross gaming revenue in the first half of 2025, according to regulator PAGCOR. Some steps have already been taken to address concerns about negative impacts.
PAGCOR has ordered the removal of all out-of-home gambling advertisements and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ad Standards Council to pre-screen all gambling-related promotions. Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has shut down more than 7,000 unauthorised gaming sites.
