HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist Representative Leila M. de Lima on Wednesday reiterated that prohibiting all forms of online gambling in the country would be the only effective way to address its detrimental effects on many Filipino individuals and families.
“Whether illegal or legal, online gambling promotes addiction. As admitted by PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco, maraming Pilipino ang hindi naman alam kung ano ang pagkakaiba ng ilegal at legal online gambling kaya talagang marami pa rin ang nabibiktima ng mga hindi lisensyado ng PAGCOR. This is another strong argument why it is better to implement a total ban on online gambling, instead of just imposing stricter regulation,” said De Lima.
“It is a good development that the links to online gambling have been removed from e-wallets, but this is not enough. They will always find ways to entice Filipinos through so many platforms,” she added.
During the House briefing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), De Lima pointed out the apparent migration or increased promotion of online gambling to other platforms such as online shopping and messaging apps, which Tengco later confirmed.
De Lima also opposed Tengco’s statement favoring the strict regulation of online gambling instead of implementing a total ban, since the government is earning billions from it.
“As an advocate of total ban on online gambling, I don’t accept the argument of Chairman Tengco na sa total ban, magiging kaunti na lang ang magagamit sa mga social services ng gobyerno tulad ng sa PhilHealth. Hindi ako naniniwala at hindi rin po nararapat na ganoon maging ka-dependent ang mga serbisyo ng gobyerno sa online gambling para idahilan ang malaking impact dito ng pagpapatupad ng total ban,” De Lima stressed.
The lady solon from Bicol further stressed: “Hindi naman titigil ang operasyon ng gobyerno o kaya mag-co-collapse ang ekonomiya kapag wala na ang online gambling.”
“The challenge for PAGCOR is to think of other alternatives for generating revenue aside from online gambling, yung hindi nakakasira ng buhay, pamilya, kinabukasan, mental health at moralidad ng mga Pilipino,” she added.
De Lima earlier filed House Bill No. 2129 or the “Anti-Online or E-Gambling Act” which seeks to ban all forms of online gambling.
Under the said measure, the establishment, operation, maintenance of online gambling platforms; promotion, advertisement, endorsement, or distribution of materials for online gambling in traditional media and digital platforms; enabling online payments, electronic wallets, fund transfers, or withdrawals or other digital payments connected to online gambling, and linking e-wallets and mobile applications to online gambling platforms, among other activities providing access and facilitating online gambling are prohibited.
As to the concern that implementing a total ban on online gambling would likely drive the industry underground, De Lima said that this could be addressed through an all-out crackdown on illegal platforms and activities related to online gambling, similar to what the government did to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Responding to the argument that online gambling provides billions in government revenue, De Lima reiterated that “earnings from online gambling are worthless if they come at the cost of ruining Filipino families, mental health of many individuals, the future of our youth, and the moral fiber of our nation.”
