Shut down the biggest gambling lord

There has been so much talk about ending or regulating online gambling alongside the very disturbing details that have come out regarding the 34 missing sabungeros that might actually go up to 100-plus.

- CITO BELTRAN

Senators have stated their position regarding online gambling. Bishops have opposed the popularization of online bingo, which is actually pure gambling. Various columnists and key opinion leaders have written against online gambling.

Even vloggers have lamented how online gambling robs jeepney drivers and laborers. But no one is talking about "the elephant in the room," the biggest, most powerful gambling lord in the country, namely the Philippine Government.

There was a time when gambling in the Philippines was limited to jueteng and bingohan sa lamay or sa kanto, and the sweepstakes, while cockfighting was called the national pastime.

It all started when ignorant or corrupt government officials and politicians were convinced by devious "gambling experts" that if the government wanted to cash in on the game of chance, it should replace sweepstakes with lotto.

Back then the sweepstakes paid out many prizes and smaller payouts. So, government officials and legislators played along and now we have millions of Filipinos losing money weekly.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Government collects gambling blood money and justifies it as a means to fund social programs and projects.

Then someone told a couple of presidents that if the government can't beat the jueteng lords, the government should "join them" and put up STL or small town lottery.

Instead of pursuing tested economic strategies, government officials played along with the devious gambling lords, who were "helping in order to help themselves."