Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioThe Philippine Senate is set to mull proposals to ban or further regulate online gambling, with a hearing slated for August 14.
The hearing will be chaired by Erwin Tulfo, the Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Games and Amusement, the upper house revealed in a press release on August 10.
Tulfo is an outspoken proponent of a blanket ban on online gambling in the Philippines. However, he has promised to consider arguments for and against the ban from government agencies such as the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Department of Finance.
Is Philippine Gambling Ban Coming?
The Senate committee will examine a range of draft laws and amendments that propose various regulatory or banning measures for the sector.
Tulfo said: “I have made a commitment to prioritize these bills because gambling-related problems are getting worse. This is a crisis. We really need to take action to solve this problem.”
The Senator said that Philippine society is not ready to bet online, claiming that a lack of regulation lets citizens “gamble without restraint.”
He added: “There is no control over how much people can bet. Some people are spending their entire salary on bets. Children can gamble too.”
Tulfo noted that many people in the country have become addicted to gambling. He opined that gambling-related revenues could not be prioritized over “the future of the people: the youth.”
The Senator also said that gambling addiction was a social illness that offered no advantages for Filipino society.
Late last week, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced the launch of a “conclave” to discuss online gambling regulation.
This consultation group will include senior figures from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Daily Tribune reported.
The CBCP is a long-time proponent of a gambling ban. But Marcos said that other parties would also join the consultation group. These will include parents, teachers, and police officers, the President explained.
Marcos also suggested that efforts to ban online betting may not eliminate problem gambling. He suggested that some betting operators may respond to a ban by taking their platforms underground.
Ban Would Lead to a Massive Loss of Income, Regulator Warns
PAGCOR has argued that a ban will hit Manila’s pocket, harming business growth and leading to a sharp decline in tax revenues.
In July, PAGCOR said that the “real danger” was coming from unregulated operators, not licensed betting platforms. The body claimed: “These operators do not pay taxes. They do not follow the rules. They exploit our system and hurt our economy.”
Marcos, meanwhile, said: “I am hoping that all of these different sectors of society will help lead us toward a good answer.”
PAGCOR says that online gaming revenues generated 50 billion Philippine pesos (approximately $877 million) in 2024.
The body claimed that this money was used by the National Treasury to support state-run programs such as universal healthcare.
PAGCOR officials have urged Manila to reconsider a ban on online gambling platforms in favor of tighter regulation.
They said that banning regulated platforms would drive up interest in unlicensed betting sites. And that will make enforcement even more challenging, PAGCOR said.
However, voices calling for an outright ban are growing louder. Many members of Congress have also called for a ban, claiming that many unlicensed, overseas-based operators are targeting Filipinos.
Last month, immigration officials claimed that former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are relocating to countries like Pakistan.
The officials warned that the ex-POGOs were now trying to lure citizens into gambling-themed crime networks.
