End online gambling

BREAKTHROUGH

- ELFREN S. CRUZ

Online gambling in the Philippines has grown at an alarming rate, quietly weaving itself into the fabric of everyday life. What was once dismissed as a harmless pastime has now revealed itself as a national concern — destroying families, draining personal finances and fostering crime.

The scale of the industry underscores this urgency. In 2024, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) reported gross gambling revenues of P410 billion, with electronic gaming alone contributing nearly P49 billion — half of its total earnings. Much of this growth comes from lightly regulated platforms that aggressively target users through social media and capitalize on the country's high smartphone use.

Faced with these realities, I firmly believe that only a total ban can safeguard our people.

Some argue that regulation is the answer — that stricter rules, better monitoring and improved safeguards can mitigate the damage. But experience tells us otherwise. Even with regulatory agencies in place, illegal operators thrive and existing controls are too easily circumvented by tech-savvy users. The rise of offshore operators and underground betting sites shows that partial measures only create loopholes for exploitation.

The government's revenue gains, while tempting, cannot outweigh the irreversible damage to Filipino lives. Gambling (whether online or not) has left families fractured, driven people into mental health crises and, in the worst cases, pushed lives to the brink. It has now become a social emergency with lasting consequences — one that regulation alone cannot solve.