IN response to the growing gambling crisis, Akbayan Partylist is set to file a bill to strictly regulate online gambling, imposing firm age restrictions on e-gambling platforms and removing access to e-wallet services like GCash and Maya, often used to easily fund online bets.
This follows Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) call on the urgent need to curb the gambling disorder, especially among the youth.
Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno sounded the alarm on the matter: “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.”
“They say ‘you win some, you lose some’ — but only the big gambling corporations win from the dreams others lost,” Rep. Diokno added.
Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña also criticized the unchecked rise of E-Gambling billboards along EDSA, which 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,” said Rep. Cendaña.
The proposed measure also seeks to mandate strict age-verification mechanisms and impose penalties on operators who fail to implement restrictions, especially on targeted advertising 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,” Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno said.
Symptom of a Systemic Failure
Rep. Cendaña also emphasized that the rise of online gambling 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.
Policy experts, economists, and other relevant stakeholders are fine-tuning the draft bill alongside the offices of Akbayan lawmakers to ensure that no stone is left unturned, as the future of the youth and Filipino families are at stake.
