BUKIDNON 3rd District Representative Audrey Kay T. Zubiri raised serious concerns over the continued presence of advertisements indirectly promoting online gambling across major areas in Metro Manila, despite a clear directive from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) ordering their removal.
Zubiri noted that billboards and other out-of-home advertisements promoting online gambling platforms remain highly visible in high-traffic areas, including Alabang, Skyway, and EDSA. These displays, she said, appear to be in direct violation of PAGCOR’s July 2025 order and corresponding public announcement prohibiting gambling advertisements on billboards and outdoor media spaces.
“How were these advertisements allowed to remain when PAGCOR itself publicly announced a ban?” Zubiri asked. “It’s the same message with a different packaging. Ang laki-laki ng mga pangalan ng online gambling advertisements sa EDSA na para bang pinagmumukhang katatawanan ang PAGCOR. What we are seeing suggests that the directive is being undermined by rebranding and technical maneuvering.”
She pointed out that some advertisements use carefully crafted slogans such as “Limit your LAKI Moments” and “Chill Over Gigil, Bida ang may Pigil,” which appear to promote restraint while still prominently featuring gambling brands. “Pagkalagpas mo ng Ayala sa EDSA, sunod-sunod ang ads nila. Even when you watch on youtube you’ll see all sorts of ads promoting online gambling. That hardly reflects a serious effort to tone down exposure. They just found a clever way of circumventing the ban which defeats its purpose.” she added.
Zubiri emphasized that these marketing strategies risk normalizing gambling, particularly among young people and vulnerable sectors, defeating the very purpose of the ban. She warned that allowing such advertisements to persist ruins public trust and raises concerns about regulatory consistency and accountability.
“If PAGCOR is sincere about mitigating the social harms of gambling, enforcement must be firm, transparent, and without exceptions. This was precisely my point when I filed my bill regulating advertisement of online gambling,” she said. “Ang pagreregulate ay hindi natatapos sa paglalabas ng memo. It must be implemented decisively and consistently. Otherwise, we risk sending the message that compliance is optional and accountability is negotiable.”
The lawmaker called on PAGCOR to disclose whether exemptions were granted, identify the officials responsible for approving the advertisements, and outline the penalties that will be imposed on companies found to be in violation of the directive. The Bukidnon lawmaker previously highlighted during a Committee on Games and Amusement hearing that the current ban might be circumvented by online gambling operators without any law penalizing it. The Committee on Games and Amusement has yet to resume consideration of the bills proposing the ban of online gambling in the Philippines.
