Online gambling in the Philippines has come under fresh assault from the Catholic Church and lawmakers who have insisted on a complete ban of the activity, arguing that its potential gains far outweigh the negative societal and economic consequences.
The Philippines won’t act in haste when it comes to deciding on future regulation
As online gambling revenue surges, and the surrounding high-skill economy is similarly booming, though, moving in against the sector has become difficult.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has vowed to "not act in haste" when it comes to deciding on what the future of eGames, administered by PAGCOR, the regulator, would be. The majority of Filipinos have said that they are in favor of a regulated online gambling market, rather than banning the activity outright.
Furthermore, banks and fintech companies have expressed readiness to enforce stricter regulation and overall consumer protection measures, such as introducing deposit and time limits, cooling-off periods, and more. All of this is designed to appease critics and shows proactiveness on the part of the private sector.
In the meantime, as many as 50,000 jobs may be lost if a complete ban is enacted, industry observers caution. The jobs are hardly just tied to running online casino games, though, and they involve IT, developers, back offices, customer support, and more, with a potential suspension of eGames set to have an immediate impact on the country’s economy.
Many analysts expected President Marcos to speak on the matter during his July 28, 2025, address, with some potentially seeing him double down against the sector and possibly elicit a ban. This did not happen, however.
Tighter measures are needed to fight off the offshore market
Lawmakers, such as Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva, have called for the Central Bank of the Philippines to take measures that allow it to oversee gambling transactions.
This measure would help the country stay on top of regulated gambling and go after unlicensed websites that continue to target Filipinos.
This also comes at a time when there are concerns about the actual size of the offshore gambling market in the Philippines, which could be half of the total marketplace by one estimate.
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