Recently in the Philippines, a regulatory action by DITO Telecom has sparked heated discussions: when intercepting access to cryptocurrency exchanges, the page does not simply show "access denied." Instead, it displays a red warning banner and a gambling risk explanation, and lists a series of PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) certified legal online casinos and betting platforms. This act of "banning crypto while guiding to gambling" has led netizens to question whether the government is using regulation as a pretext to channel the public into gambling. Related Philippine gambling and crypto regulation compliance cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Core Issue: The "Special Operation" of the Intercept Page
The interception mechanism of DITO Telecom is significantly different from other operators, and the details have sparked widespread discussion:
Interception display: When users access cryptocurrency exchanges, the failure is not shown directly. Instead, a page pops up containing multiple elements — a red warning emphasizing the risk, text explaining the dangers of gambling, and ultimately recommending PAGCOR certified compliant gambling platforms;
Official endorsement suspicion: The page features logos from three major institutions: PAGCOR, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC), leading many users to believe this is not merely an operator's action but has official approval or coordination;
Classification controversy: Cryptocurrency trading platforms are not categorized as "unregistered financial products" but are included in the "illegal gambling risk" framework, equating crypto investments with "gambling" and suggesting users "to gamble through legal channels."
Controversy Focus: Regulatory Risk Prevention or Traffic Channeling?
This operation has divided public opinion into two camps, with the core controversy focusing on the intent of the regulation:
Reasons Supporting the "Traffic Channeling Conspiracy Theory"
Fiscal logic: Gambling is a significant source of fiscal revenue in the Philippines, and PAGCOR plays a dual role as both "regulator" and "revenue creator," guiding risk investors from the crypto market to tax-controlled, cash flow stable legal gambling platforms, making the accounting logic consistent;
Special nature of the operation: This "gambling-oriented interception" only appears with DITO Telecom, other operators have no similar actions, and the recommended list of gambling names is clear and complete, unlike random negligence;
Discourse reshaping: By labeling cryptocurrency transactions as "illegal gambling risks," subtly changing user perceptions, paving the way for channeling to legal gambling.
Rational Voices' Doubts
Technical level: It could be a result of technical outsourcing by the operator, template reuse, or simply using existing risk warning templates to "save trouble";
Lack of direct evidence: Currently, there is no direct evidence that the official has a clear policy of channeling traffic to gambling platforms, all speculations are based on indirect inferences from page design.
Official Silence: Doubts Continue to Spread
As of now, the parties involved in the incident have not provided a clear response, further intensifying public doubts:
Unresponsive entities: DITO Telecom, PAGCOR, NTC, CICC, and other institutions have not publicly clarified whether there is a policy intent to guide traffic to gambling platforms;
Discussion escalation: The official silence has allowed the "conspiracy theory" to continue fermenting, with netizens joking "the Philippines is not against gambling, just against you gambling where they can't control";
Core question: The event has evolved from a technical compliance issue to an exploration of the nature of regulation — whether national regulation is meant to prevent risks or to redistribute risk flows, guiding users to controllable revenue channels.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
