Gambling addicts

For a long time now, an ad for Casino Plus keeps popping up on my cell phone and email.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

Each time I delete the ads, they pop back up in seconds. On Wednesday when I looked at my cell phone and email, the ads were mercifully gone.

I suspected that it could have something to do with the pitch of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) for tighter regulation instead of a total ban on all forms of online gaming. The operative word is "tighter."

The Casino Plus ads bore the PAGCOR logo. Before the un-erasable ads disappeared mysteriously last Wednesday, even children could easily click on the ad and enter the virtual casino. Any minor with an e-wallet account (and there are many of them) could play.

Sites for bingo games, and previously, e-sabong, have also been easily accessible on smartphones. Since the starting bets can be relatively small, the easy accessibility is a highly effective come-on.

Yesterday, the casino ads were back. Did the one-day break lead to a substantial decline in betting?

There are many people for whom spending their idle time in a game of chance, with the possibility of making easy money, can be irresistible. Especially if the promised virtual casino "grand jackpot" is P21,950,888 (as of noon yesterday). And with endorsers such as entertainment stars Alden Richards, Julia Barretto and Barbie Imperial.

The appeal of a fast buck is most enhanced by the easy accessibility of placing bets.

For the gaming industry, digital technology has been a godsend. For society, it's a path to perdition due to gambling addiction—a problem that is causing concern serious enough for several lawmakers to push for a total ban on online gaming.