A bill filed in the Philippines House of Representatives is seeking a total ban on online gambling in the country in an attempt to protect young people under the age of 21.
The bill, titled the ‘Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025’, was put forward by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who described igaming as a “silent epidemic”.
If passed, the bill would ban all forms of online gambling in the Philippines as well as call on internet service providers, mobile network operators and digital platforms to block access to igaming websites.
A request for gambling apps to be removed from mobile devices following notification by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is also part of the proposal.
Companies would have 72 hours to comply with PAGCOR’s instruction or be met with fines, a licence suspension or removal.
Digital wallets and payment solutions, including credit cards and e-wallets, would also be banned from facilitating online gambling transactions.
The senator, in a press release dated 4 July 2025, said that the existing threat of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) was being replaced by the “even more dangerous problem” of people being able to gamble at home.
Using an example of a child staying up late to spend family “grocery money on an online casino site”, Zubiri argued some children were becoming addicted to gambling and that they were stealing to fund “their next bet”.
He said: “Let’s not kid ourselves. Gambling addiction looks different today. It’s no longer someone who is addicted to the casino or the cockpit.
“It now looks like a kid with a phone under the covers at 2am, losing the family’s grocery money on an online casino site.
“We see so many online casino ads in our payment wallets. They are even endorsed by famous celebrities. You can see those memes of what they call ‘scatter’ on social media.
“These memes make a parody of people losing a lot of money in online gambling. The unfortunate thing here is that it’s not just the adults who are addicted to vice.
“Our youth are also included. Children are learning to lie, to steal, to cheat just to fund their next bet.
“The sad thing is, it’s the kids who are getting addicted. It’s easy for them to fake their age, create fake accounts and get into these sites.
“There is something inherently wrong with the system [and] that is why I filed this measure to put an end to this once and for all,” he concluded.
The senator’s press release highlighted that, should the bill be passed, any company found to be helping people place bets, promoting gambling or advertising websites would be held liable.
This would include marketing across both old and new media, as well as advertising via social media influencers.
The first violation would entail a fine of at least ₱20m (£259,402) plus a six-month licence suspension.
A second offence would be a ₱50m fine and one-year suspension, while a third would involve criminal prosecution of company executives, a minimum fine of ₱100m and a permanent licence revocation.
The post Senator files anti-online gambling bill to outlaw igaming in the Philippines first appeared on EGR Intel.
Juan Miguel Zubiri labels igaming a “silent pandemic” amid claims children are stealing to pay for their next bet
The post Senator files anti-online gambling bill to outlaw igaming in the Philippines first appeared on EGR Intel.