The penchant for winning the big stakes can turn into gambling addiction…
Gambling in any form is a losing bet―except for its promoters. For online gambling, the stakes are equally high and the risks are the same in ruining the lives of those who are financially struggling.
We’ve read and heard of disturbing stories from the low-income groups losing their hard-earned money to gambling. The penchant for winning the big stakes can turn into gambling addiction that is hard to stop.
The digital age has just spawned the rise and popularity of online gambling. Accessible through cellphones and with a wider reach, this form of betting has led to increasing gambling addiction among Filipinos.
Some believe the increasing reliance of Filipinos to the convenience offered by online platforms in their everyday lives, such as mobile applications, websites and e-wallets, exposes them to the risks of becoming an online gambling addict.
Banning all forms of gambling as raised by certain influential personalities and groups, however, is short-sighted and inadequate to address the complexity of the problem.
Gambling, for starters, is not totally banned in the Philippines. The state relies on the revenues of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), which regulates various gambling modes.
Psgcor permits online gambling operations as long as the games are registered and accredited. As a result, Pagcor’s legalization of online gambling in the country translated into windfall revenues for the government.
Pagcor in the first quarter of 2025 earned P51.39 billion from its list of accredited online gambling platforms.
The increasing number of Filipinos turning into online gambling addicts, though, is not lost on Pagcor. It implements several interventions to address gambling addiction among Filipinos, including public service announcements, assistance for self-exclusion and referrals to experts.
Despite these efforts, however, other stakeholders continue to ring the alarm regarding the rising number of online gambling addicts among Filipinos.
One one hand, the blame on online platforms such as mobile applications and e-wallets seem to be short-sighted. Solely blaming these platforms as the main driver of online gambling addiction among Filipinos is unfair and lacks empirical basis.
Even if these platforms commit to totally ban online gambling leads and pathways within their mobile applications and websites, there is no assurance that Filipinos will not explore or resort to gambling for reasons ranging from economic to sociological.
Studies affirm the link between economic factors, especially income, and online gambling addiction. In a study conducted in the United States, lower income gamblers are found to spend huge proportions of their income on gambling.
The same is true in Asian countries like South Korea,and Malaysia, where bettors see online gambling as a means to address financial insecurity.
Sociological reasons, meanwhile, play an important role in pushing individuals to engage in online gambling. Per a study, the presence of online communities focused on gambling not only exposes Internet users to online gambling but also further aggravates existing addictions.
State regulation of gambling industry, thus, still serves as the best option in the crusade against the ill-effects of gambling in society.
Since gambling is considered as a vice and recognized by the World Health Organization as a behavioral disorder, a state-led regulation is necessary to protect Filipinos from gambling addiction and assist addicts towards recovery.
Through government regulation, the state can compel the gambling industry to follow certain limits in terms of their activities. Such limits should cover promotion, marketing, advertising and other business operations.
Government regulation gives opportunities to identify and harmonize the scope, responsibilities and capabilities of state agencies in addressing the broader societal problem of gambling addiction.
An official regulation for the gambling industry also creates opportunities for other private sector players, such as advocacy groups, rehabilitation centers, healthcare sector, educational institutions and religious bodies, to participate.
Through public-private cooperation rooted on government regulation, the state and private sector partners can work hand-in-hand to hinder the expansion of illicit gambling activities in the Philippines, especially those available in the Internet and cyberspace.
Private sector partners can provide monitoring and investigative assistance while government agencies can immediately respond since they possess the necessary police power to curb illicit gambling activities.
A government-led regulation remains our best bet in offsetting the costs of the gambling industry that can ruin individual lives, families and the very fabric of Filipino society.
Collaboration between the public and private sector is key to curb and address online gambling addiction.
In Singapore, the success of the responsible gaming campaign to address addiction is attributed to the importance of empowering family members and schools.
And in Indonesia, collaboration between the government, healthcare providers and gambling operators is also fostered to address the issue.
A strict regulation of the gambling industry and a pro-active government-private sector response raises our chances of achieving an inclusive economy.
E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com
