THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued a sharp order to electronic wallet providers (e-wallets) to eliminate all icons and links directing users to online gambling platforms within 48 hours.
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement Thursday, August 14, 2025, Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan said a formal directive for e-wallets to decouple from gambling applications will be released within the day.
“The monetary board of the [BSP] has approved our policy that we asked or we order, direct the BSP supervising institutions to take down and remove all icons and links redirecting to gambling sites,” Tangonan said.
The panel’s chairman, Senator Erwin Tulfo, said he will cite Tangonan in contempt if e-wallets still have connections to online gambling applications by Sunday, August 17, noting the prevailing “crisis” in the country due to web-based gambling operations.
Tulfo said that while he is in favor of imposing a total ban on online gambling, he remains open to hearing the positions of all affected stakeholders.
“Kung ako lamang po ang tatanungin, I stand firm on this: we must shut it down completely. Ban it. Criminalize it. Block every platform, seize every server, and prosecute not only the operators, but also the enablers, in government and in the private sector, who profit from this misery,” Tulfo said.
“But let this committee send a strong message: the Philippines will not be a playground for gambling syndicates, whether foreign or local, legal or illegal. Our youth are not for sale. Our families are not collateral damage. We are legislators sworn to protect the people. And in the face of this crisis, there is only one moral choice, ladies and gentlemen: end online gambling now,” he added.
Currently, there are three Senate bills seeking a total ban on online gambling in the country, while two others call only for the imposition of stricter regulations.
In her opening statement, Senator Pia Cayetano, one of the authors of the bills seeking a total ban on online gambling, noted several individuals who killed themselves due to gambling debts.
Cayetano said that in 2023, a nationwide survey revealed that 66 percent of Filipinos aged 18 to 24 engaged in online gambling, with frequent betting behavior leading to academic neglect, financial distress, and psychological strain.
“This is not an isolated case. There are other reported cases of individuals who have taken their lives because they were buried in debt. And there are also reports that online gambling is linked to money laundering, cybercrimes, and other illicit activities. There are also numerous reports of families being affected by online gambling. There are rising cases of gambling addiction and mental health issues, particularly among the youth and vulnerable population,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said that in 2020, the country’s gross gaming revenue reached P12.91 billion; in 2021, P16 billion; and in 2022, P30 billion.
She said that in 2023, gaming revenue doubled to P58 billion, and in 2024, it tripled to P154 billion.
“So yan ang income na nakukuha natin sa gambling. Is it worth it?” said Cayetano.
(So that’s the income we get from gambling. Is it worth it?)
“How many young people will lose their way? How many families do we sacrifice? How many lives are worth the extra revenue to the government? It is my hope that during this hearing, all relevant facts will be revealed, including the cost to every family who loses a breadwinner. Every family who does not have food to eat because nagastos na sa sugal, sa online gambling na napakadali. Every family who won't watch a child graduate dahil this child has lost their way because of gambling addiction. What is the cost to society?” he added. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)