Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is weighing the possibility of a complete ban on online gambling, with a key statement expected in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28. As multiple legislators join forces to push for anti-gambling legislation, the issue of online gambling is becoming a focal point of social and political concern at the national level.
Senator Raffy Tulfo, leading the charge for the ban, has called on the president to make a clear stance in the SONA, emphasizing that online gambling has become a "plague eroding society." Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro stated that the president is assessing the broad economic and social impacts of a gambling ban, striving to find a balance between regulation and public interest.
Several related legislative measures are advancing in Congress, including House Bill 1876 submitted by Representative Abante, which advocates for a complete ban on online gambling and offshore betting, citing its "destruction of family structures and degradation of social morals." Senate President Zubiri has also submitted a similar proposal, while Tulfo plans to introduce an even tougher version, demanding a thorough investigation of officials involved in gambling misconduct.
Meanwhile, the gambling industry has expressed strong opposition. Solaire, Newport, and Okada Manila, three major land-based casinos, issued a joint statement declaring their operations legal and compliant, bringing significant tourism investment to the Philippines, with each investing over one billion dollars. Legal experts in gambling law, Quiocho and the regulatory body PAGCOR, also warned that a ban could lead to an increase in black market gambling, advocating for more precise regulation instead of a complete shutdown.
It is worth noting that Marcos had already announced the elimination of POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) in his 2024 SONA and had previously shown openness to the Department of Finance's proposed online gambling tax, but the current policy tone seems more conservative.
The government is caught between a rock and a hard place: on one hand, the gambling industry brings substantial tax revenue and employment to the country; on the other, online gambling also leads to family breakdowns, rampant fraud, and other serious social issues. Marcos will decide the fate of online gambling in the Philippines at the end of the month in his SONA.
