Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Online gaming

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Lawmakers grilled the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation during its budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday over the growing online gambling addiction in the country, as some push for a total ban on online gambling. Data from PAGCOR show that of its P111.71B total income for 2024, P97.52B are from gaming operations. From that figure, more than P49B came from online gambling, according to PAGCOR Chairperson and CEO Alejandro Tengco. The country has around 70 licensed online gambling operators. The increase in PAGCOR revenues was recorded despite a moratorium on new licenses for online gambling operators since March 2024. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/8/19/cybercrime-body-mulls-centralized-govt-platform-for-online-gambling-1820">Cybercrime body mulls centralized govt platform for online gambling </a> </div>“Nitong 2024 talagang exponential na po ‘yung naging growth (ng online gaming revenues). Tapos itong unang pitong buwan ng taong pangkasalukuyan ay patuloy pa rin ang growth na ito. Sa taong pangkasalukuyan, kung hindi ako nagkakamali 32% ang inilaki muli ng revenue na nagmumula sa online gaming,” Tengco told the House panel. “Sa 2025, kung patuloy na walang total ban, ang magiging revenue na magmumula sa online gaming a. P&#x27;wedeng between P65 billion-P70 billion,” he added. But for some congressmen, these revenues are not enough to justify the continued online gambling operations in the country. “Online gambling has become an epidemic in this country. So many surveys and research have shown that majority of our people in the Philippines are already into online gambling… Across the country, out of 1,200 respondents, 64%, two thirds of our people are now into online gambling, and what is worse, very very with concern, it also showed that 66% of this 64% are at the ages of 18 to 40. So what happens to the 21 threshold of age?” Cagayan De Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez said. “What will you say to the Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa who said that addiction to online gambling as showed by 64% of the Filipino people is a mental health issue. And that an adverse effect of gambling is habit forming?” he asked.“Those who are included in that report of ages 18 to 21 are not coming from the licensees of PAGCOR, because we are truly strict when it comes to the registration, and we make it a point as much as possible to register only those who are 21 years old and above,” Tengco replied. “Ngayon ang malaking pinagkakalat namin sa posters, billboards, leaflets ay gambling can be addicting, know when to stop.” PAGCOR is pushing for stricter regulation of online gambling, instead of a total ban. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/20/pagcor-over-60-pct-of-online-gambling-sites-accessed-in-the-philippines-illegal-1300">READ: Over 60 pct of online gambling sites accessed in the Philippines &#x27;illegal&#x27; - PAGCOR </a></div>“Maski magkaroon ng total ban, tuloy din po ang illegal gambling at ang masakit doon, lalung malululong ang Pilipino, dahil walang proteksyon ang mga manunugal, kung sakaling total ban nay an, at higit pa roon ay walang papasok na revenue talaga sa ating pamahalaan. Dapat nalang siguro ay higpitan pa natin ang regulasyon,” Tengco said. But some congressmen are not convinced. “Hindi ko lang maintindihan yung logic na because we cannot control the illegal online gambling, we just have to compete with them, and it’s all over the world…  Kung gagawin nating illegal ang online gambling, tumaya ka dyan, magparticipate ka dyan, may kaso ka, mapipigilan,” Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice said. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/8/18/dict-warns-messaging-shopping-apps-ban-online-gambling-or-be-banned-1731">DICT warns messaging, shopping apps: ban online gambling or be banned</a> </div>“P50 billion is not even one percent of the national expenditure program… sa revenue po, baka one percent. Do you think that is significant compared to the expenditures that the government will incur due to the effects of online gambling to our people?” he added.“Mga pinakamalalaking bilyonaryo ang may control sa industriyang ito at sila ang nakikinabang, at interes nila na hindi mapagbawal ito. Ngayon ang social cost… milyun-milyong Pilipino ang nalululong, tapos sinasabi ng PAGCOR, i-rehab nalang ng i-rehab ang mga ito. Para sa amin hindi katanggap-tanggap na justification ‘yung P70B na kinikita ng gobyerno,” ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio also said. Tengco, however, said online gambling does not only contribute to government revenues. The industry also employs nearly 40,000 Filipinos. “Nakakita ako ng isang study galing sa DOF… na nagpakita na positibo po yung epekto naman sa cost-benefit analysis nila. Kasi hindi lang naman natin tinitingnan ang revenue sa PAGCOR. Mayroon pong mga empleyado, halos 40,000 na po ‘yan na Pilipino na tumatanggap ng sweldo na higit sa minimum wage. They average now between P45,000 to P60,000 and then the effects of the different industries sa pag-ikot po nyan,” he explained.<div> </div><div>ILLEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING </div>Of the 11,800 illegal gaming operators referred by PAGCOR to law enforcement agencies, nearly 8,000 have been shutdown, according to Tengco. But he said some operators are just changing their name, and continue with their illegal operations. “Of the 11,800 illegal operators that we have referred to them, siguro nasa almost 8,000 ang natanggal na... Unfortunately, kung minsan, may ibang enterprising illegal operators, magpapalit lang ng pangalan. Kung minsan magdadagdag lang ng isang letra o numero, tapos tuloy na naman ang kanilang illegal na gawain,” Tengco explained. He blamed the online gambling addiction of some minors to illegal sites. But Bukidnon 3rd District Audrey Zubiri pointed out that at least two PAGCOR- licensed illegal gambling sites do not check the age of gamers. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2025/8/19/viber-says-to-work-with-authorities-on-gambling-ads-1102">Viber says to work with authorities on gambling ads </a></div>&quot;Just this morning, our office tried these two apps… and the only thing that was required of us was to give a phone number, and to enter a verification code. After that ay nakapasok na po at ready na maglaro. It bothers me because I was under the impression that PAGCOR is fully monitoring our legal online platform games,” she said. “I will immediately look into the matter and see if they have violated our rules and regulations and if they did violated, then they will be sanctioned, because we have penalties for this,” Tengco replied. He noted that for the first half of the year, PAGCOR voided P180 million in winnings because the bettor “did not follow the process of registration.” “Hindi po namin binabayaran ang makikita at mahuhuli naming underage, prohibited person, government employee, hindi po namin binabayaran ‘yung kanilang winnings, kung nakita namin na hindi sila sumunod sa proseso,” Tengco said.

Lawmakers grilled the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation during its budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday over the growing online gambling addiction in the country, as some push for a total ban on online gambling.

Lawmakers grilled the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation during its budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday over the growing online gambling addiction in the country, as some push for a total ban on online gambling.

Solons grill PAGCOR on growing online gambling addiction in PH

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Solons grill PAGCOR on growing online gambling addiction in PH

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 20, 2025 05:02 PM PHT

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Online gaming

House of Representatives

Gambling

Addiction

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