Arthur Fuentes

A user demonstrates the features of a mobile gambling app while playing in Quezon City on July 11, 2025.
Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Online gambling app

Jekki Pascual

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Cabinet secretaries under the economic pillar expressed support for stricter regulations against online gambling, and not a total ban.At the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines Economic Forum, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the revenues generated from online gambling are big which can also help fund government projects. He said he is personally against gambling, but the government can get huge taxes from the legitimate industry.“I am against online gambling. I do not gamble to begin with. But I think the PAGCOR is generating at least P100 billion in gaming revenues, more or less P50 billion on online gaming and it would appear that is growing,” Recto said.Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go also highlights the growth of the industry and the revenues it is bringing to government coffers.“PAGCOR&#x27;S revenue on online gaming is gonna be north of P60 billion this year because the GGR [gross gaming revenue] of PAGCOR is expected to be north of P200 billion this year,” said Go.But both officials also agree of stricter government regulations to prevent minors from gambling, prevent government employees from also gambling, and to also make it more difficult for people to gamble via their phones.Recto said, ‘I prefer what the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] is doing with new regulations to make it difficult for young people to be able to gamble through your cellphone, through using of the wallet so on and so fort.”Go also proposed of raising a minimum bet and a minimum entry point to make it harder for some people, especially the poor, to gamble since money will be needed upfront. He said, for example, instead of a one peso bet, that should be raised to P100.“For example lang, there&#x27;s a minimum entry level of P1,000 and a minimum bet of P100. That way you don&#x27;t have somebody coming in, a desperate person coming in with P100 and betting everything he has on one bet,” Go said.BSP has released a draft of new guidelines on digital payments and online gambling. Among the proposed measures are creating an online gambling account which has limits on the amount money is stored in the account and that the e-wallet linked to the account should have the loans service disabled.“You can&#x27;t just go to your phone, press an icon and then you&#x27;re in a gambling site. We want it to be more difficult. No government employees, relies on a good KYC [know your customer] system, no one who receives ayuda, I think, should be allowed to gamble,” said BSP Governor Eli Remolona, Jr.When asked of his thoughts on online gambling, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said he also shares the views of his colleagues including Recto, Go, and Remolona.Several groups have called for a total ban of online gambling citing the ill effects of gambling to society and to every individuals. But some also just want stricter regulations citing the revenues the industry can give to the government.<div> </div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gMccKe7stBs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

Finance Sec. Ralph Recto said the revenues generated from online gambling are big which can also help fund government projects.

Finance Sec. Ralph Recto said the revenues generated from online gambling are big which can also help fund government projects.

Econ managers back stricter rules on online gambling, not total ban

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Econ managers back stricter rules on online gambling, not total ban

Jekki Pascual,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 11, 2025 05:20 PM PHT

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Updated August 11, 2025 08:47 PM PHT

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