Philippine Senate to start committee hearings on online gambling
The Senate Committee on Games and Amusement has said it will adopt a position against online gambling.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Senate will start committee hearings next week to explore calls to ban or more tightly regulate online gambling. Lawmakers remain divided over the issue, but Senator Erwin Tulfo, newly elected chair of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, said the committee would adopt a clear position against online gambling.
During Wednesday’s plenary session, Tulfo told senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri that the committee will conduct an investigation immediately. “I welcome the privilege speech of Sen. Zubiri concerning the prohibition on online gambling and manifest my full support. Once the membership of the committee has been settled, we will conduct hearings to hear all sides,” Tulfo said.
“We will direct appropriate government agencies like the Department of Finance and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to submit cost-benefit analysis, foregone revenues from unregulated operations, as well as implications to employment, not to mention the social costs,” he added.
Senator Loren Legarda also expressed support for the call to ban online gambling. “The relentless advertising by popular personalities and influencers, combined with the convenience of e-wallets and digital platforms, has made gambling dangerously easy. It is accessible anytime, anywhere,” she said. “This is no longer just a regulatory issue. It is now a matter of public welfare, mental health, economic stability, and I dare say, even a national security concern,” she warned.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr made no mention of online gambling in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this week, but vice president Sara Duterte has come out against online gambling. 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 and senator Sherwin Gatchalian has also filed a bill proposing tighter restrictions without a full ban. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has said he does not agree with calls to ban online gambling, warning that the move could result in the country losing hundreds of billions in revenue.
According to 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.
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.
