Alarmed by the growing ‘gambling crisis’ in the country, the Akbayan Partylist is set to file a bill to regulate e-gambling.
In a news release on Thursday, July 3, the Akbayan Partylist explained that the bill would impose firm age restrictions on e-gambling platforms. Moreover, it would remove access to e-wallet services like GCash and Maya, which are often used to fund online bets. This aligns with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) urgent call to curb the ‘gambling disorder’, especially among the youth.
“Sa sugal, hindi chips o pera, kundi pangarap ang nakataya. Sa bawat cash-in sa E-gambling app, may pamilyang nawawasak at kabataang ninanakawan ng kinabukasan,” Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno worriedly said.
“They say ‘you win some, you lose some’ — but only the big gambling corporations win from the dreams others lost,” he added.
Representative Perci Cendaña mirrored the former’s statement and questioned whether online gambling had become a ‘basic necessity’. According to Cendaña, the unchecked rise of e-gambling billboards along EDSA normalizes gambling in public spaces.
“Basic necessity na ba ngayon ang sugal? Hindi na pagkain o damit ang nasa naglalakihang billboard sa EDSA, pero E-Gambling na. Kaya’t hindi nakapagtatakang imbis na ipambili ng essential goods ang sahod, sa sugal ito napupunta,” the lawmaker pointed out.
Apart from the age verification mechanisms, operators who fail to implement restrictions would also be penalized under the said bill. This is especially true with advertisements and pop-ups designed to lure minors.
"Hindi to simpleng in-app purchase sa mobile games, na kahit maliit nga lang, nagagalit na ang mga magulang natin. Kailangan higpitan ng gobyerno ang access sa E-gambling gaya ng paghihigpit sa mga casino," Diokno said.
The rise of online gambling, as Cendaña highlighted, reflects a deeper socioeconomic neglect where economic mobility is no longer anchored on public services, but on luck.
“When our people are starved of opportunities, desperation becomes the only currency. Kung may sapat na sahod, maayos na trabaho, at abot-kayang serbisyo, hindi na nila kailangang kumapit sa swerte," he said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros will also file an identical version in the Senate.
