PH gaming operators oppose total online gambling ban

National

IMPOSING a total ban on online gambling will allow black market to thrive.

Licensed gaming operators in the Philippines issued this warning as they called on the government to impose a stronger regulation instead of totally banning online casinos.

In a statement, 14 licensed operators said prohibiting the use of online gambling will only push the players to involve themselves in the black market, benefiting illegal operators.

“The reality is clear: players will continue to play. The choice is whether they do so on secure, licensed platforms that follow regulations, or on black market sites that answer to no one,” the group said in a statement as per a report by Inquirer.net.

The group said protections have been established already, emphasizing that the country is one of the countries in Asia that has the strictest securities.

Know-Your-Customer and multi-factor authentication, checking of players against the government’s National Database of Restricted Persons, and requiring that online gambling players must be in the age range of 21 or beyond are among the safety nets, they said.

They stated that there is a provision of self-exclusion tools and real-time monitoring for at-risk behavior, and lookout for advertising restrictions as well that prohibit predatory claims.

When online gambling expanded in 2022, a total increase from P12.3 billion to P54 billion occured in 2024 from the government's license fee collections alone, directly funding projects that benefit the Filipino community.

“Over 50,000 Filipinos now work in the sector, many in high-value roles in technology, cybersecurity, creative design, and artificial intelligence,” they said.

The operators added a precipitous ban or limiting of legal payment channels would “destroy this progress overnight, wiping out thousands of jobs and handing the entire market to illegal sites.”

“In these unregulated spaces, players lose all protections: no age checks, no data security, no support for problem gambling, and no contribution to the national economy,” they stressed.

They recommend that instead of permanently banning online gamblings that would possibly cause the players to be involved in the black market, lawmakers should instead consider to what could help strengthen the system of gambling including tighter age and identity verification, clear limits for at-risk players, secured anti-money laundering safeguards, faster site takedowns for illegal operators, and developed public education on player rights and responsible play.

“Let’s be clear: the real enemy is not regulated gaming. It is the rise of illegal operators who put profits over Filipino welfare. Legal operators do not fear tougher rules, they welcome them. What they fear is surrendering our digital future to the black market,” they said.(Theressa Faye Lacandazo, USC Comm Intern)