In a Facebook post, former child star and now content creator CJ Ramos shared his refusal of the consecutive offers he received this month of April to promote online gambling.
In the said post, he expressed his sentiments and demonstrated his principles.
According to the former child star, he firmly turned down the offers, explaining that even though they provide an easy way to earn money, he chose to steer clear because of the negative impact it has on people.
“Offer po sa atin ngayong buwan yan. Pass po talaga tayo diyan eh,” CJ wrote in the caption.
“Easy money nga po pero alam ko po ang pakiramdam 'pag malulong,” he continued.
Highlighting the destructive nature of addiction, he emphasized his refusal by stating, “Kawawa naman ang mga maiimpluwensiyahan. Mahirap makalabas sa isang bisyo.”
The actor's decision stems from his own personal journey and deep understanding of the dangers associated with addiction.
Rather than accepting income derived from gambling, he prefers to focus on honest and ethical ways to earn a living.
“Pagkain na lang po, busog pa ang pamilya,” CJ expressed.
Before evolving into the content creator he is today, CJ Ramos was once one of the most familiar faces on Philippine television.
His early career is defined by iconic roles in projects like Ang TV Movie: The Adarna Adventure and the moving family drama Tanging Yaman.
During his guest appearance on Toni Talks last November 2025, he candidly revealed that it was during this challenging period of his twenties that he first fell into drug use.
Related Gallery: Celebrities who courageously opened up on their struggles with gambling
Comedian-host MC "Muah" Calaquian recently opened up about his painful history with online gambling. In an interview with actress Toni Gonzaga on Toni Talks, he shared he lost more than PhP 10 million to gambling.
MC shared that going to the casino started out as a coping mechanism after losing his parents. MC Recalled, "Ako nauna kasi uuwi ako after ng comedy bar. Saan ako pupunta? Baka hindi ako makatulog. So, may naghikayat sa 'kin. Sabi niya, 'Ito o para maaliw ka,' sa casino. Iba ang saya 'pag papunta ka pa lang doon, masaya."
Together with his friend, Lassy Marquez also lost big time in casinos, also to cope for the loss of his father. In the same interview, he shared that their visits to the casino became more and more frequent, even pushing til the next day.
Lassy revealed that they would even go to work with no sleep, playing at night until the next day, only to go home to take a bath before going to their next show.
MC shared that his turning point came when he decided to stop going to the casinos and seriously save up for a house in 2018. Lassy, meanwhile, was forced to stop and take a step back due to the mounting financial strain and debts. Finally, they got their financial freedom back.
Transgender beauty queen Lars Pacheco also admitted in a Facebook video about getting addicted to online gambling. What started as a simple curiosity about online sabong became an addiction she could not stop.
Lars had already lost PhP 600,000 to just online sabong before she went to other online gambling platforms. Her turning point came when she realized that she was already lying to her friends just to support her addiction. In the end, she urged everyone already in the habit to stop, "habang maaga pa."
Former SexBomb Girls manager and mentor Joy Cancio recently admitted on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda that she became addicted to playing with the "one-armed bandit" of the casino. She admitted that she became overwhelmed with the popularity that the girl group was gaining, and became saddened after receiving negative comments from netizens.
Joy admitted that she became addicted to gambling, playing to win more when winning, and playing to get back what she lost. However, it came to a point that she gave up, drinking medicine to end it all. But when it came to it, she prayed to the Lord to save her, and she survived. Since then, she has not gambled anymore and has become closer to God instead.
Former actress Azenith Briones became the talk of the town when she went missing in 2024, after a friend reported her disappearance to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). However, in an interview with Julius Bababo, she revealed that she was in rehab due to her kids' belief that she's addicted to gambling.
While Azenith admitted that she does go to the casino to play, she clarified that she was not addicted to playing. Instead, she's there because of her jewelry business. According t o the former actress, she buys the jewelry pawned at the casino and sells it back to the market. However, she's promised her kids that she will take more care of her health and will stop going to the casino.