A growing group of lawmakers, regulators and public health advocates is sounding the alarm over the unchecked rise of online gambling in the Philippines, warning that addiction, debt, and crime linked to digital betting platforms are escalating into a full-blown national crisis.

Following a Senate hearing last week, Senator Rodante “Dante” Marcoleta urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to live up to its regulatory mandate in order to stop the “social ogre” that is online gambling.

“PAGCOR has the regulatory powers here; we are barking up the wrong tree,” Marcoleta said, stressing that the agency has long held the legal authority to oversee online operators.

His comments came after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through Memorandum M-2025-029, ordered financial institutions to suspend in-app gaming features. Within hours, GCash disabled gaming access via its GLife platform, while Maya shut down its Games feature. Both advised users to withdraw funds directly from gaming providers.

Marcoleta demanded that PAGCOR explain why four firms control more than 80 percent of the market, insisting on full disclosure of their beneficial owners. He also pressed the agency to clarify whether it remits correct and timely allocations to the Philippine Sports Commission, Dangerous Drugs Board, Board of Claims, and the National Treasury.

“If this is stated in the law and it is clear how much should be given, it should also be clear that it is provided at the right time and in the correct amount,” Marcoleta said.

Under current rules, PAGCOR must remit five percent of its winnings to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, 50 percent of its net income to the Treasury, and make monthly transfers to various state agencies.

But lawmakers say regulation is only one part of the problem. Public health advocate Dr. Tony Leachon described online gambling as a “psychological trap.”

“It hijacks the brain’s reward system, leading to compulsive behavior, anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, suicidal ideation,” Leachon explained.

“Unlike traditional gambling, online platforms are available 24/7, often designed to exploit emotional vulnerability and impulsivity,” he added.

Omnipresent

Leachon warned that the digital age has made gambling “omnipresent, seductive, and dangerously accessible,” arguing that addiction must be treated as a “full-blown public health emergency.”

“As a physician and public health advocate, I have witnessed firsthand how addiction silently devastates individuals, families, and entire communities,” he said. “The government must confront this crisis with the same seriousness we apply to epidemics and chronic diseases.”

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri echoed the concerns during the hearing, warning that the booming online casino industry is “destroying Filipino families.”

Zubiri cited a staggering 5,564 percent surge in online gambling revenues, from P8 billion in 2022 to P135.71 billion in 2024, with P106.53 billion recorded in the first half of 2025 alone.

“The financial figures represent more than money, they are shattered lives, drained savings, and family tragedies by digital platforms that are dangerously accessible to the public,” Zubiri said.

He pointed to tragic cases tied to gambling debts, including a young man in Bukidnon and a 22-year-old in La Trinidad who both took their lives, as well as violent crimes in Cebu involving disputes over winnings.

Leachon added: “The consequences ripple outward: families lose savings, children suffer neglect, and relationships collapse under the weight of secrecy and shame. In a country where many live paycheck to paycheck, the financial fallout is catastrophic. People borrow from loan sharks, sell possessions, or skip meals to chase losses. This is not a moral failing—it is a public health issue that requires systemic intervention.”

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Citing a 2023 survey, he revealed that 66 percent of Filipinos aged 18 to 24 engage in online gambling. “We are witnessing the emergence of a generation conditioned to gamble,” he said, warning that students, young professionals, and even parents are betting throughout their daily routines.

To address the crisis, Leachon recommended cognitive behavioral therapy, schema therapy, deposit limits, time caps, and self-exclusion tools, alongside public campaigns and school-based education.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR has ordered the removal of outdoor ads for online gaming platforms. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he wants broad consultations before deciding on a possible ban.

“We still have to form the policy on what we are going to do about online gambling... We have to talk to the people... If we regulate, who will be doing the regulation?” Marcos said in a podcast.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that the consultations will include representatives from the Church and other stakeholders, though no schedule has been set.

At the center of the debate is whether the Philippines can rein in an industry that has rapidly outpaced regulators. For lawmakers, advocates, and families already affected, the stakes could not be higher.