A renewed crackdown on online gambling is brewing in the Senate as lawmakers sound the alarm over its growing social impact, especially on Filipino families.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has filed Senate Bill No. _ or the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, which seeks to outlaw all forms of digital gambling in the Philippines. The proposed law would prohibit online betting through websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms, regardless of device. It also directs internet service providers and mobile operators to block gambling sites and remove related content within 72 hours of receiving notice from the Department of Justice or the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
“Let’s not kid ourselves,” Zubiri warned. “Gambling addiction looks different now… It now looks like a kid with a phone under the covers at 2 a.m., losing the family’s grocery money on an online casino site.”
Zubiri emphasized that while Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) have been largely shut down, digital gambling has quietly taken their place and is now deeply embedded in homes—fueled further by aggressive marketing and celebrity endorsements. “These memes make a parody of people losing a lot of money in online gambling,” he said, referring to viral jokes online about so-called “scatter” slot losses.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed a separate bill seeking to block the use of digital wallets for gambling transactions, adding another layer to the legislative push to curb the industry’s reach.
Pagcor responded to the developments, saying in a statement that it is open to stricter rules, noting, “It is the prerogative of our lawmakers to propose laws which they think will be beneficial to the public.”
Senator JV Ejercito also threw his support behind the calls for tighter controls, pointing to the dangers of e-sabong and other forms of online betting. “Because of the social consequences… I think the government should be strict with this and e-wallets should prevent being used for online gambling,” he said in a DWIZ interview.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology has reportedly taken down 7,000 unauthorized gambling sites flagged by Pagcor, according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.
