The Philippine legislative sector is once again stirring up a storm. Recently, Senator Pia Cayetano and her brother Alan Peter Cayetano jointly submitted a shocking bill advocating for a complete ban on all forms of online gambling activities within the country, and setting high fines and criminal accountability for operators, users, and promoters involved in gambling, sparking intense social attention.
This proposal directly addresses the increasingly severe phenomenon of online gambling. Pia stated in her speech, "Online gambling has spread across the country, causing systemic damage to Philippine society. Family breakdowns, youth addiction, a surge in violent crimes, and active underground cash flows... all these are inseparably linked to the shadow of online gambling."
🔒 Key contents of the bill at a glance:
Complete prohibition of online gambling forms: covering online casinos, gambling apps, video betting, live gambling, and all other variants;
Platform operators: subject to a fine of no less than 10 million pesos and facing up to 10 years of imprisonment;
Ordinary gamblers: could be fined up to 100,000 pesos and face up to 6 months of imprisonment;
Internet celebrities, KOLs, and star promoters: will incur at least 5 million pesos in fines, and up to 5 years of imprisonment;
Establishment of an enforcement agency: The proposal suggests that the Presidential Office lead the formation of a "Special Task Force on Online Gambling," to enforce and regulate nationwide.
Pia stated in the proposal that the intention of the legislation is not merely to suppress the industry, but to "stop online gambling from destroying the social grassroots order and eroding the future of the youth." She pointed out that more and more cross-border criminal gangs are using gambling platforms for money laundering, fraud, and human trafficking, with the Philippines becoming a key node in the Southeast Asian cybercrime chain.
Alan Peter Cayetano added, "We want to send a clear message: the Philippines will not provide protection for these online casinos. The nation must decisively cut losses and safeguard the safety of its people."
The proposal is still under consideration, but it undoubtedly serves as a wake-up call for the Philippine gambling industry, with even the legally licensed PIGO platforms' fate becoming uncertain.
If the bill is ultimately passed, the Philippines will become one of the first countries in Asia to explicitly legislate a "complete ban on online gambling."
Philippines to classify "online gambling" as a criminal offense? Senator proposes a complete ban on PIGO online betting, with maximum sentences of up to 10 years!
Comments0
Is this bill a joke? KOLs get five years for advertising, do the legislators have no legal sense at all?
Five years is a bit harsh.
Internal strife, a result of uneven distribution of benefits.
Don't block it, see how the Philippines falls.
Gambling has now become the lifeline of the Philippine economy; can it really be banned just like that?
Impossible to seal
Did you speak out because the Archbishop spoke, just to go along with it, since there are many believers and it's easy to attract votes?
Foolish people talk in dreams, all for a few votes.
Don't worry, the pony won't agree.
There is a concept that needs to be clarified: submitting a legislative proposal and passing legislation are two different things. You can mess around all you want when submitting a legislative proposal.
/ THE END /
