‘Every delay is a chance seized by a kid to place a bet on his preferred online game until another family’s future is jeopardized and another life succumbs to the shackle of addiction.’
GAMBLING has a long and complicated history in the Philippines, dating back to the 16th century, long before Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, witnessed in 1521 a group of young men noisily placing bets in a cockfight in Palawan.
What began as an indigenous pastime progressively became legalized under Spanish colonial rule, as the state recognized its potential for revenue.
Today, gambling remains heavily regulated, but a far more insidious variant has emerged from the digital theater called online gambling. And there seems to be an off-bicameral unison to take drastic action against online gambling, ranging from outright ban to regulation.
Former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano are spearheading the charge for a total prohibition.
Zubiri said the shift in addiction is no longer confined to casinos or cockpits but has infiltrated homes with “a kid with a phone under the covers at 2 a.m., betting, losing the family’s grocery money on an online casino site.”
Zubiri laments the heartbreaking consequences: “Children are learning to lie, to steal, to cheat just to fund their next bet.”
His proposed Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 seeks to outlaw all digital betting platforms, apps, and websites. It mandates internet service providers and mobile operators to block access to these sites and remove related applications, highlighting the urgent need to cut off the digital supply.
The Senate measure also tackles the troubling trend of celebrity endorsements, which have undeniably fueled the popularity of online gambling.
The Cayetano siblings’ bill not only penalize operators but also users and endorsers – celebrities or not – who could be heftily fined and jailed.
Those who advertise or promote online gambling would also face severe penalties.
While some, like Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and JV Ejercito, advocate for regulation like banning the use of e-wallets for online gambling, such measures are akin to placing a small bandage on a gaping wound.
Members of the House of Representatives, including Reps. Rolando Valeriano and Zia Alonto Adiong, echo the call for a total ban, citing social costs, the reinforcement of addiction, and the aggravation of mental health issues.
The Church has also voiced its strong condemnation.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David has criticized the government’s failure to protect Filipinos, particularly the youth, from falling prey to gambling addiction.
But despite the growing collective indignation, there’s a disconcerting executive narrative coming from Malacañang.
The President, through his spokesperson, has expressed openness to taxing online gaming operators rather than imposing a ban.
This conditional approval, contingent on “sufficient studies,” unfortunately signals a potential capitulation to revenue generation over public welfare.
The statistics from Metro rehabilitation centers further convey a clear and present danger.
The Bridges of Hope Drug, Gambling and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center reports a staggering increase in patients seeking help for online gambling addiction.
The center’s senior program director notes that admissions for online gambling have skyrocketed to 40-45 percent compared to just 15 to 20 percent during the pandemic, when e-sabong was the premium addiction.
The words of Spanish governor general Andres Camba in 1838, in his fight against traditional gambling, still resonate and capture the same ills we face today in online gambling: “This consuming cancer destroys the fortune of many families, encourages sloth, hinders the sources of public wealth, perverts good faith, corrupt the people’s morals and leads them to degradation and misery.”
The national clock is ticking.
Every delay is a chance seized by a kid to place a bet on his preferred online game until another family’s future is jeopardized and another life succumbs to the shackle of addiction.
