CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez today urged the House of Representatives to muster enough courage “to put an end to the silent epidemic of online gambling.”
In a privilege speech, the Mindanao lawmaker told his colleagues that he could not “remain silent as our families – the very foundation of our society – are being torn apart and devastated by a digital plague: online gambling, including e-sabong.”
“The numbers and stories paint a disturbing reality. Gambling, once confined to casinos and cockpits, now hides in our mobile phones – accessible 24/7, to our people, including children and the youth, often with no age restrictions, and just a click away from financial ruin. Today, any person, even a minor, can register on a gambling app, fund it through an e-wallet, and lose everything within minutes,” he said.
Rodriguez said a 2025 study by Digital Risk Observatory showed that an estimated 34 million Filipinos – roughly 1 in 3 adults – have participated in online gambling.
He said some 64 percent of surveyed users admitted to betting online, with many of them doing so daily.
“Around 30 percent of users are between the ages of 15 and 24, and many of them started playing before reaching the age of 18. Our laws and our digital systems are failing to protect our youth,” he added.
The Mindanao lawmaker expressed alarm over how gambling is being vigorously promoted online.
“We see celebrities, influencers, even beauty queens, endorsing apps like Bingo Plus, ArenaPlus, OKBet, and Stake com, enticing millions of Filipinos with promises of instant wealth. As of this year, over 15 top Filipino celebrities are directly or indirectly promoting gambling platforms, from Ivana Alawi to Vice Ganda to Alden Richards,” he said.
He said the celebrity endorsements “are often packaged as lifestyle content, making gambling appear harmless and aspirational.”
However, Rodriguez said behind the flashy promotions “lie broken homes, ruined lives, exhausted savings, and shattered futures.”
“A jeepney driver lost his entire day’s earnings to an online slot game – on his mobile phone, during trips. Another heartbreaking case from my very own city: a woman, enraged after losing a bet on an online game called Scatter, violently attacked her husband. This is not fiction – it was reported on local radio, and it is a chilling reminder that gambling is not a private vice. It has public consequences,” he added.
He appealed to online gambling investors: “Sa mga bilyonaryong kumikita sa online gambling at e-sabong, tama na. Mahiya din kayo.”
He pointed out that no amount of money is worth the life of a Filipino or the happiness of a family.
“Walang katumbas na pera ang buhay ng isang tao o ang saya ng isang pamilya. Huwag na nating dagdagan pa ‘yung mga nawawalang sabungero,” he stressed, referring to more than 30 e-sabong enthusiasts who have been missing since 2021 and 2022.
Rodriguez acknowledged that the government is earning billions from e-sabong and other online gambling activities.
But he asked: “At what cost? Can we truly put a price tag on broken families? On mental health issues? On domestic abuse? On youth addiction?”
“A financial gain for the few must not justify suffering for the many. Gambling is not a sustainable driver of development – it is a trap for the poor and a poison to our culture,” he said.
The Mindanao congressman had this appeal to his colleagues: “I strongly urge this august chamber to act with courage and resolve. Let us ban all forms of online gambling. Let us prohibit e-wallets like GCash, Maya, and ShopeePay from enabling gambling transactions.”
“Let us penalize operators, promoters, and financial intermediaries. Let us empower DICT, NTC, PAGCOR, and law enforcement with the legal tools to shut down access and punish violators,” he said.
“We must act decisively. For the poor families in the barangays, for the children lured by flashy apps, for the victims of digital vice. We owe it to them to ban online gambling now,” he said.
