SEVERAL lawmakers from both chambers of Congress have filed their respective proposed measures seeking either to regulate or impose a total ban on online gambling in the country, as they recognized its effects on society, especially on families and the youth.
In the Senate, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Raffy Tulfo filed their respective bills seeking a total ban on all forms of online gambling.
Under Zubiri’s Senate Bill (SB) No. 142, or the proposed Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, there will be an outright ban on all forms of online gambling, which includes digital betting platforms, mobile applications, and websites that allow users to place their bets through electronic devices.
Under the proposed measure, which is included in Zubiri’s 10 priority bills in the 20th Congress, internet service providers, mobile network operators, and digital platforms will be mandated to block access to gambling websites and remove related apps within 72 hours upon notice from the Department of Justice or the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
It also seeks to bar digital wallets and payment service providers such as credit cards, GCash, and PayMaya, among others, from facilitating transactions related to online gambling.
Zubiri’s bill also imposes stiff penalties, including fines and imprisonment, on individuals and operators who violate the ban.
In a press conference, the former Senate president urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to act on matters related to online gambling, which is already “getting out of hand,” affecting families and the youth.
He said the income generated from online gambling is not enough justification for the “social ills” it causes in the country.
“Before you leave in 2028 at hindi po natin aksyunan ito, our country might be in a worse position than what you entered in 2022,” said Zubiri.
(Before you leave in 2028 and we fail to take action on this, our country might be in a worse position than when you took office in 2022.)
In 2022, the Philippine government banned all e-sabong operations (online cockfight match betting), which had been established amid the Covid-19 restrictions, due to the cases of missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts).
At least 34 sabungeros who were reported missing since 2021 have yet to be found.
According to accused-turned-whistleblower Julie Patidongan, the head of security at the cockfighting arenas where the victims were last seen alive, over a hundred sabungeros were killed and their bodies were dumped in Taal Lake after being accused of cheating in cockfight matches.
'Epidemic'
Senator Raffy Tulfo said there is an ongoing “epidemic” in the country due to online gambling.
“Lumalala nang lumalala ang epidemic na ito. It's about time na lahat tayo magtulung-tulongan para magamot itong malalang epidemic,” Tulfo said in a press conference Tuesday, July 15.
(This epidemic is getting worse and worse. It's about time we all work together to treat this serious epidemic.)
In his bill, Tulfo said he would push for a ban on all online gaming platforms, including those accredited by Pagcor.
He also urged Pagcor to prohibit all forms of online gambling advertisements, whether on social media, television, or radio.
Tulfo said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should step up in case a total ban on online gambling leads to underground operations.
He added that government officials involved in online gambling operations should be investigated.
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and JV Ejercito filed similar bills seeking the imposition of strict regulations on online gambling.
“Under the bill I filed, any online gambling operator that fails to implement a responsible gaming program will be held fully liable. Walang palusot sa pananagutan. At habang dumarami ang nalululong, lalong lumilinaw na kailangan ng mas mahigpit na batas sa online gambling,” said Gatchalian.
(There will be no excuses to escape accountability. And as more people fall into addiction, it becomes even clearer that we need stricter laws on online gambling.)
Gatchalian also filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the youth’s engagement in online gambling.
He expressed alarm that learners can access online gambling without adult supervision.
Gatchalian flagged that while students are legally barred from gambling, there is no clear national policy or education-based effort to curb online and offline gambling in schools.
He cited that gambling disorder has been classified by the World Health Organization as a behavioral addiction, with severe consequences for the youth such as school absenteeism, theft, psychological distress, and long-term addictive behavior.
Senators Joel Villanueva and Pia Cayetano also included the Anti-Online Gambling Act in their priority bills, while Senator Alan Peter Cayetano filed a bill that aims to ban all forms of advertising, marketing, and promotion of online gambling in the Philippines.
Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a bill that would limit access to online gambling, particularly through e-wallets and super apps.
She said this came after her office received numerous messages from people desperate for help over their loved ones who have become addicted, buried in debt, or have taken their own lives due to online gaming.
“If big casinos say they are following regulations, that's well and good. That means there should be no issue if we tighten access to online gambling. What's clear is that our laws are being left behind by the rapid pace of technology,” Hontiveros said.
“With so many complaints pointing to how phones have made online gambling too easy to access, why are e-wallet and super app companies silent? I hope that they would also take steps to self-regulate. Too many lives have been ruined and could be ruined by online gambling. Too many families have already been hurt,” she added.
House crackdown
At the House of Representatives, Akbayan Party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla filed House Bill 1351, which seeks to restrict access to online gambling through the implementation of the following measures:
*Establishment of strict age verification protocols
*Prescribing limits on advertising and promotion
*Implementing a national- self-exclusion registry
*Imposing betting loss limits
*Prescribing minimum guidelines for player protection
*Creating a harm mitigation levy
*Recognize gambling disorder as a public health condition
*Banning campaign contributions from gambling operators
*Implement strict penalties for unlicensed operators and non-compliant persons
Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Adiong and Manila Representative Benny Abante, meanwhile, are calling for a total ban on online gambling.
Abante said the prevailing online gambling epidemic “threatens the soul of the nation.”
“Online gambling is not just a vice—it is a virus. It is an addiction that eats away at the moral fiber of our society. It erodes the values we teach our children, and it devastates the finances of Filipino families,” Abante said in a press conference.
“Gambling has always profited off addiction. And today, it is worse because it has gone digital, viral, and global. There is nowhere a gambling addict can go to resist temptation because an addict cannot avoid casinos or cockpits if these are in the palms of their hands,” he added.
Pagcor earlier opposed the proposed total ban on online gaming, saying it may result in the proliferation of unregulated sites on the black market.
In a press conference on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Marcos is looking into calls to ban online gambling in the country.
“Ang mga pagpapasyang ganito po ay talagang pinag-aaralan kung ito ba’y makakaapekto sa ekonomiya, makaapekto sa mamamayan, at hindi po tayo maaring magpadalos-dalos po dito,” Castro said.
(Decisions like this are thoroughly studied to determine whether they will affect the economy or the people, and we cannot afford to act hastily on the matter.)
“Dahil minsan po, kapag po mismo ang legal at license ng mga online gaming sites ang iyong iba-ban, mas dumadami ang mga illegal na online gaming sites, at iyan po ay mas nakakaapekto sa ekonomiya, so pinag-aaralan po iyan ng Pangulo,” she added.
(Because sometimes, when you ban the legal and licensed online gaming sites themselves, it leads to an increase in illegal online gaming sites, which has an even greater negative impact on the economy. That’s why the President is carefully studying the matter.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)