10 points about online gambling

Online gaming like online music, online food delivery, and online lectures and seminars, has become more popular in the Philippines.

- BIENVENIDO S. OPLAS, JR.

There are positive and negative effects of the proliferation of these online transactions. Here is my list of 10 important points about online gambling.

1. It has grown big in revenues. It reached P112 billion in 2024, with e-games and e-bingo accounting for P48.8 billion. And in the first quarter of 2025 alone, gross gaming revenues (GGR) reached P104.1 billion, with the e-games and e-bingo segment contributing P51.4 billion. This data comes from the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

2. News about gambling addiction, dirty money, and calls for outright bans have surfaced at more pronounced levels. See these reports in Business World this year: “Filipinos battle addiction amid online gambling boom” (Jan. 14), “PHL urged to monitor dirty money risks from online gambling, crypto” (Feb. 25), “PAGCOR warns BSP regulation could hold back e-gaming growth” (Feb. 27), “Proposed local online gambling ban to hurt NG revenues” (March 4), “Pacific Online weighs expansion amid PIGO uncertainty” (May 2), and, “E-games dislodge casinos as PAGCOR’s top earners” (May 7).

3. What was previously casual digital entertainment has expanded into a wide ecosystem that includes among others: mobile gaming with in-app purchases, online betting and digital casinos, play-to-earn games, and remote gambling services including e-sabong and international POGOs.