Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17518711424701751871141495.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri during a press conference in Pasay City on September 26, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File "/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri during a press conference in Pasay City on September 26, 2024. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is pushing for a total ban on all forms of online gambling, even those authorized by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), as he highlighted the problems caused by what he called a “silent epidemic.”</p><p>In line with this, Zubiri filed his Senate Bill 142 or &quot;Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025” which “prohibits all forms of online gambling in the country.”</p><p>“Maglalagay po tayo ng blanket ban sa lahat ng uri ng online gambling,” Zubiri said in a press conference on Monday. </p><p>“Hindi na po ito basta regulation, total ban na po ito para tuluyan na nating matigil ang online gambling na umuubos ng pera ng ating mga kababayan mula sa iba&#x27;t ibang sektor. And similar to how we banned e-sabong, similar how we banned POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), ito ay magandang hakbang para matanggal na po itong adiksyon sa ating mga kababayan.”</p><p>“Hindi lang oras ang nauubos dito kundi life savings ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya dapat na po natin ipagbawal ito kahit ang mga authorized online games ng PAGCOR,” he added.</p><p>Zubiri lamented what happened to a 16-year-old in Bukidnon who supposedly lost P100 to online gambling and committed suicide out of guilt for spending his parents’ savings.</p><p>He also shared how some farm workers lose an average of P500 to P1,000 to online gambling when their disposable income is not that big to begin with.</p><p>“The taxes earned are not worth the social cost. Nasisira na po ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan. Nag-aaway-away na po ang ating mga pamilya. Tumataas ang kaso ng krimen. Nababaon na sa gabundok na utang ang manggagawang Pilipino which then severely affects their mental health,” Zubiri stated.</p><p>He believes the government can let go of the revenue from online gambling, which, he said, reached more than P47 billion in the first quarter of 2025.</p><p>“The 47 billion is not enough to justify that. As a matter of fact, napakaliit niyan. Proper tax collection ng BIR, proper tax collection ng Bureau of Customs ay makukuha mo na yan,” Zubiri said.</p><p>He appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the problem of online gambling and include this in the next State of the Nation Address (SONA).</p><p>“It will take the President a lot of political will because Filipino-operated ito. Marami rin siyang kaibigan na nagmamay-ari nitong mga kumpanya na ito. And I think he will show great leadership, he will show great leadership if he puts an end to this online gaming and gambling for the Filipino people,” Zubiri said.</p><p>“Na makikita talaga na without fear or favor for the good of the country, we can earn this P47 billion elsewhere, let’s stop online gaming. I would love to hear that from the President even in his State of the Nation Address or some sort of statement saying that let us allow Congress to study the ban on online gaming,” he added.</p><p>“So Mr. President, let&#x27;s do something about this. We can&#x27;t just take this sitting down. That income is not enough justification for the social ills it will cause our country. And before you leave in 2028 at hindi po natin aksyonan ito, our country might be in a worse off position than what you entered in 2022,” Zubiri said.</p><p>He also called on celebrities not to use their influence to encourage online gambling, and for advertising companies to take down billboards and posters about this.</p><p>For Zubiri, a total ban is more effective than regulation because there will always be those who will circumvent the law.</p><p>His bill enumerates prohibited acts, such as:</p><p> - establishment, operation, conduct of online gaming in the Philippines, which shall cover those offshore or foreign-operated digital gambling platforms or applications;</p><p> - acceptance of any form of betting or wager by digital gambling platforms or applications through online;</p><p> - facilitating the use of electronic wallet or e-wallet and other digital payment systems for online gambling;</p><p> - advertising through traditional media online and social media, including posts of content creators, vloggers, influencers, which promote online gambling and specific digital gambling platforms. </p><p>The bill also proposes a fine of not less than P20 million and suspension of license for six months on the first offense, a fine of at least P50 million or one year suspension of license on the second offense, and a fine of not less than P100 million and permanent revocation of license or permit on the third and succeeding offenses.</p><p>Offenders may also be subject to criminal prosecution with imprisonment of not more than six years.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CONSUMPTION DOWN</strong> </div><p>Zubiri also shared the concern of some malls about their sales going down, which they think might be linked to online gambling.</p><p>“I spoke to manufacturers, I spoke to mall operators doon sa probinsya… bumagsak ang sales,” he said. “They also told me their suspicion is online gaming. Kasi nauubos na yung pera mo.”</p><p>“We cannot deny that manufacturing is down, consumption is down, consumer spending is down. Would it be because of this? If you ask me, my opinion, yes,” he added.</p><p>Zubiri said they will call representatives of malls to the hearings the Senate will conduct regarding his bill.</p><p>He said rich and powerful people own online gambling sites and it will be tough fight to have it banned, but said the situation will only worsen if this is not acted on.</p><p>“If we continue this in the next two years, by the end of the term of the President, we&#x27;ll be a nation of online gamblers, a nation of addicted gamblers, and a drop, and you&#x27;ll see all across the board, in all sectors, there will be a drop in productivity, drop in consumer spending, there will be a drop even in energy utilization kasi wala tayong pampayad ng kuryente,” he said.</p><p>He is also worried this will lead to an increase crimes.</p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>SOLONS SUPPORT ZUBIRI&#x27;S CALL</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175187181192820220504-e-sabong-app-JC-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="An e-sabong app remains shut on May 4, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An e-sabong app remains shut on May 4, 2022. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></strong>Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Adiong and TGP Party-list Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves expressed their support for the bill filed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.</div><p>Adiong believes that if the country is able to put a stop POGOs, it should also ban online gambling.</p><p>“Marami po sa mga ibang countries na talagang bina-ban po ‘yung gambling. In fact, na-ban nga po natin ang POGO dito. If we ban the Pogo in real and physical form, why can&#x27;t we do that virtually? Kasi sa totoo lang, itong gambling na ito, may nakakasira hindi lang sa mental health ng ating mga individual, but ‘yung moral fiber ng society kasi it actually reinforces ‘yung addiction ng tao,” Adiong said on Monday, July 7.</p><p>According to Teves, children often participate in online gambling, something which often goes unmonitored.</p><p>“Sa totoo lang, hindi naman po natin ito nababantayan. ‘Pag ang isang kabataan, online gambling, mayroon sariling internet, mayroon sariling cellphone. Wala namang nagbabawal na pati ang kabataan ay hindi bawal gumamit ng cellphone. ‘Yung below 18 years old. Kaya ‘pag papasok doon, makakapanood sila, makakapaglaro sila sa online gambling,” Teves told reporters.</p><p>“Kaya sumusuporta ako sa ibang congressman, lalong lalo na ‘yung panukalang batas na ginawa ngayon ni Senator Zubiri na pagbawal na ang online gambling dahil marami pong experience tayo ng mga kabataan ‘di na nakakapag-aral dahil nalululong sila sa online gambling,” Teves added.</p><p>PAGCOR earlier said in a statement it will follow regulations against online gambling once passed into law.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/6/wrap-flurry-of-allegations-revives-dormant-missing-sabungeros-case-2204">WRAP: Flurry of allegations revives dormant ‘missing sabungeros’ case</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/7/involved-cops-in-missing-sabungeros-case-may-rise-to-over-15-pnp-1229">Involved cops in missing sabungeros case may rise to over 15: PNP</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BoyVUy__ykQ?si=rAZeiajXmcT1NjoX" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is pushing for a total ban on all forms of online gambling, even those authorized by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), as he highlighted the problems caused by what he called a “silent epidemic.”</p>

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is pushing for a total ban on all forms of online gambling, even those authorized by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), as he highlighted the problems caused by what he called a “silent epidemic.”

Zubiri pushes for total online gambling ban, appeals to Marcos Jr. to address issue

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Zubiri pushes for total online gambling ban, appeals to Marcos Jr. to address issue

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 07, 2025 03:06 PM PHT

Read More:

Migs Zubiri

Online gambling

Zia Adiong

Bong Teves

Pagcor

Pogo

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