Philippine president open to new online gambling regulations
President Marcos has reportedly said he will not oppose any measure seeking to address gambling addiction.
The Philippines.- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is reportedly open to proposals for tighter regulations and taxation of digital gaming.
The Department of Finance (DOF) is currently exploring measures to impose new taxes on online gaming platforms. One bill proposes a 10 per cent tax on operators to fund addiction treatment and recovery programs.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said: “The President is aware of the possible effects on gambling addicts and will not oppose proposals that are backed by sufficient study.”
She added: “This proposal to impose a tax to restrict online gaming is for the good of the Filipino family. The president is aware of the possible effects on gambling addicts and will not oppose it as long as the proposal is well-studied.”
“The president listens, especially to what is happening to our countrymen and whatever bill would be passed, it will be carefully studied to see if it will benefit our economy and at the same time benefit the people,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri’s Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 seeks to ban online gambling in all forms, including mobile applications and websites. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a separate bill proposing tighter restrictions without a full ban. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is pushing for e-wallet providers to prevent their platforms from facilitating transactions linked to online gambling.
