As calls for a ban on online gambling intensify, veteran liquor retailers are cautioning policymakers that prohibition often fuels a more dangerous and unregulated black market.

Ralph Lim Joseph, owner of Ralph's Wines & Spirits, a prominent liquor store chain established in 1975, drew parallels from his decades in the alcohol business.

"We've seen this story before," Joseph said. "During times when liquor was restricted, whether during elections or curfews, people didn't stop drinking. They just went underground. Unregulated suppliers stepped in. Quality dropped. Safety vanished. And the government lost control."

Joseph argued that demand for comfort, escape, or entertainment persists, especially during difficult times, regardless of bans. He warned that outlawing online gaming would lead to similar consequences.

"The legal operators today are the ones you can monitor, license and hold accountable," Joseph said. "If you shut them down, you're not killing gambling, you're handing it over to fly-by-night operators and criminal syndicates with zero regard for consumers."

Joseph advocates for smarter regulation over outright bans. "We've learned in the alcohol business that the most responsible way to manage vice is to regulate it, educate the public, and make safety non-negotiable," he said. "That's how you protect people, not by pretending demand does not exist."

The history of alcohol regulation in the Philippines, marked by cycles of moral panic, failed prohibitions and eventual reform, offers a precedent for the ongoing online gaming debate.