Philippine Senate President Zubiri proposed the "2025 Anti-Online Gambling Act," advocating for a complete ban on online gambling, sparking intense debate in the political arena. Several senators, including Hontiveros, Pia Cayetano, and Tulf, supported the move, calling for curbing the social chaos caused by gambling; Tulf even plans to submit a bill urging the president to directly address the gambling issue in the State of the Nation Address. Congressman Abante described gambling as a virus that destroys families and called for an immediate ban.
The opposition advocates for stronger regulation. Senators Zhang Qiaowei and Ejercito worry that the ban might backfire, pushing users towards illegal platforms. PAGCOR Chairman Tengco also opposes a complete ban, stating that online gambling contributes nearly half of the industry's revenue, and banning it could result in losses up to hundreds of billions of pesos and the loss of over 30,000 jobs. He warned that illegal platforms are the biggest threat, and regular platforms should be strengthened rather than banned.
The issue also affects the fintech industry. Payment platforms including GCash and Maya have committed to cooperating with the government to strengthen gambling regulation. PAGCOR has also ordered the removal of all outdoor gambling advertisements by mid-August.
Behind the gambling controversy is the long-term development of the Philippine gambling industry. In 1976, the older Marcos established PAGCOR to start the industry's development; in 2016, Duterte promoted the rise of POGO, bringing fiscal benefits but also security risks. In June this year, President Marcos has already halted POGO, but PIGO targeting domestic users is becoming more rampant.
Nowadays, gambling is widespread, with youth addiction and family destruction becoming common. A young mother from North Davao Province, Reyes, became addicted to gambling due to a small win, and the couple lost over 100,000 pesos in a year due to their addiction to online gambling. Eventually, she deleted the app and destroyed her SIM card to quit gambling. She now only hopes: "The government should completely ban online gambling; it almost destroyed my family."
However, while banning gambling is easy, giving up annual revenues as high as 410 billion pesos is difficult. Malacañang Palace stated that Marcos is carefully weighing the calls for a gambling ban against the economic impact. The presidential spokesperson pointed out that the key is to combat illegal websites, as banning legal platforms might instead boost the black market.
All this will be revealed today. On July 28, President Marcos Jr. will deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address, and it is widely expected that he will make an important statement on whether the Philippines will completely ban online gambling. This is not only a policy choice but will also determine the historical positioning of Marcos' administration.
