PAGCOR launching AI tool to detect illegal online gambling sites

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said Tuesday it is launching a digital tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to detect illegal online gaming platforms in real time.

"Meron na kaming ilo-launch na AI tool [na] per second makaka-detect ito ng illegal gambling website," PAGCOR Assistant Vice President Atty. Jessa Fernandez said at the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement hearing on the proliferation of online gambling.

(We will be launching an AI tool that can detect illegal gambling sites every second.)

Fernandez added that PAGCOR is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block illegal sites once detected.

For his part, CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said the agency has "already blocked 10,000 illegal online gambling sites."

During the hearing, Fernandez disclosed that online gambling transactions have dropped by 50% since the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) prohibited e-wallets from linking to online gaming platforms.

Last month, BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan told the Senate committee on games and amusement that e-wallets were given 48 hours to take down icons and links to online gambling platforms.

E-wallet service providers GCash and Maya later announced that they have complied with the deadline. — VDV, GMA Integrated News