MANILA  — A leader of the 19th Congress House Quad Committee wants a total ban on online gambling amid the growing addiction over it.

Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. said regulating it has been challenging.

“Kailangan ng total ban niyan. Although I heard the explanation of Chairman Al Tengco about that, kung saan nakakatulong itong digital gambling na ito sa healthcare natin, nakakatulong sa DepEd, because part of the funding would be on the 1,500 classroom na ipapagawa, nakakatulong din sa sports. Still, we have to balance it to find out what is the social cost. Baka nakakatulong nga tayo pero mas malaki ang social cost nito,” he said. 

Instead of total ban, licensed operators seek stronger regulation on legal online gambling

“Pangalawa, how do you regulate? Sa akin, that's a big question on my part…For example, like, ang sabi nila, 21 years or above ang magtataya. So, how do you do that? That is via the internet… Wala naman nakalagay kung ano edad mo roon. How do you regulate that? How do you also regulate siguro ‘yung the amount ng pagtaya? …And then thirdly… kahit noong araw pa, we did not get the proper taxes diyan sa digital gambling na ‘yan,” Abante added.

He aknowledged there are several concerns that come up to "properly" regulate online gambling. 

“Who do you tax? Do you tax the corporations? How about the individuals who are earning money out of that? Paano ‘yung kanilang pagbabayad ng taxes dyan? So, napakaraming bagay na dapat pag-usapan tungkol dito,” he noted. 

This came after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian proposed for stiffer measures on online gambling, as he said a total ban could just lead to underground operations,

Other lawmakers, meanwhile, including some House members and several senators, are calling for online gambling ban.