On March 12th, 2024, Senator Robin C. Padilla filed Senate Bill 2602 which seeks to ban gambling promotion on online platforms. Joe Napier says there are many online casinos available in the Philippines, but, should this bill be approved, it would become harder for Filipinos to find these sites.
The purpose of the bill is to control the exposure of online gambling activities across the internet, particularly on social media. Padilla believes gambling promotion is a big threat to the youth of the Philippines. He argues that constant exposure to promotional and instructional gambling material directly leads to wider social issues, such as addiction and criminal activity.
Prevent gambling habits in young people
Padilla suggests there is a direct link between overexposure to gambling activities online and the forming of gambling habits in younger generations. While youth employment reached 91.8% in December of 2023, there are still many young people in the Philippines without jobs.
Gambling is perceived in the Philippines as a get-rich-quick scheme and a recreational activity that can easily be monetized. This impression is perpetuated by overly positive social media posts detailing how easy it is to make money from betting. Even young Filipinos who are in employment see it as a viable way to make additional cash.
As in other East and South East Asian countries, gambling has long been part of Philippine culture. In-person gambling is a popular recreational activity and plays a central part in peer relations in the country. However, online gambling activities have undergone a stark increase in recent years and are expected to continue to grow in popularity.
According to Sper Market Research, the Philippine online casino gambling market is predicted to be worth USD 3749.42 million by 2033. This ongoing digital casino boom in the Philippines has directly caused the proliferation of gambling-related content available online.
User-generated casino promotion
Online casino promotional content comes mainly in the form of user-generated content, which is exactly what Padilla seeks to outlaw with the new bill.
If passed, it will become illegal to link to or promote a gambling site in any way on your social media accounts. Individuals who are caught directly linking to gambling sites or accepting commissions for publishing pro-gambling content will face both a fine and jail time.
Bill 2602 states that in the event of being caught, the individual will be fined between P300,000 (USD 5,392) and P500,000 (USD 8,870). They’ll also receive a maximum jail sentence of three years.
Under this bill, the National Telecommunications Commission will be tasked with monitoring and ensuring nationwide compliance. Section 4 of the bill states that should an individual be caught, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be informed. The DOJ will then supply a disabling order to block access to the gambling site. Once issued, the relevant service provider will have 48 hours to comply.
So, not only will this new bill deter individuals from posting gambling content in the first place, but it will also actively remove and block access to any promotional content that gets posted.
Control of Pogos
2024 has already witnessed the passing of several bills linked to controlling the growing online gambling market in the Philippines. In February, the House Committee on Games and Amusement passed House Resolution 1197 and Bill 5082.
These bills are designed to control and effectively ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos). These are Philippine-based sites that provide gambling services to other countries where online casinos may be banned or heavily restricted.
While Pogos create jobs and significant revenue for the Philippines, they have long been associated with illicit activities. They’re frequently linked to money laundering, illegal immigration, kidnapping, and various other violent crimes.
Several lawmakers in the country argue that the small 1% of annual revenue that Pogos bring in is not worth the damage they cause and the criminality they promote.
On June 27, 2023, around 3,000 individuals were liberated following a raid on the Xinchuan Network Technology Compound in Las Pinas City. This event came to be known as the Hong Tai raid. Xinchaun was a legitimate Pogo but was found to be violating the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
This event led many senators, including Senator Risa Hontiveros, to impose a ban on online gambling altogether. It also paved the way for the likes of Bill 2602 and 5082. It brought many lawmakers' attention to the wider online gambling problem that is currently present in the Philippines - starting with the promotion of gambling.
The Philippines has many ongoing gambling-related issues that senators are working to resolve in 2024. The rest of the year will likely see the Congress of the Philipines discussing further restrictions on the recreational activity.