Philippine lawmakers warn of online gambling shift to messaging and e-commerce apps
Operators adapt after e-wallet crackdown, prompting calls for tighter regulation.
The Philippines.- Senators have called for action as online gambling operators in the Philippines relocate services to encrypted messaging platforms and e-commerce sites following an order for e-wallet providers to remove links to their platforms. Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, said operators had migrated to apps like Viber, Telegram and Lazada.
Tulfo said BingoPlus had told customers they could continue playing through its app, website and Viber, while still using e-wallets such as GCash and Maya for deposits and withdrawals. On Lazada, the company’s vouchers are being sold as regular items and later converted into gaming credits.
Tulfo praised the compliance of e-wallet firms with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ order but stressed the need for a “holistic approach” to prevent gambling from reaching young Filipinos.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also raised concerns, calling the ’ migration a “malicious and predatory practice.” He urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to take ation. Gatchalian warned that without stricter enforcement, gambling apps could exploit vulnerable users.
The Senate is expected to summon e-wallet companies, banks, and telecommunications providers on the matter.
