Marcos to study calls on banning online gambling

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. will study the calls to ban online gambling, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

During a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for reaction on the call of Senator Raffy Tulfo to totally ban online gambling.

Castro said this matter should be dealt thoroughly as this will affect the Philippine economy and the residents as well.

''Ang mga pagpapasyang ganito po ay talagang pinag-aaralan kung ito ba’y makakaapekto sa ekonomiya, makaapekto sa mamamayan at hindi po tayo maaring magpadalos-dalos po dito,'' Castro said.

(Decisions like this are really being studied to see if they will affect the economy, affect the people, and we cannot rush into this.)

''Dahil minsan po, kapag po mismo ang legal at license ng mga online gaming sites ang iyong iba-ban, mas dumadami ang mga illegal na online gaming sites at iyan po ay mas nakakaapekto sa ekonomiya, so pinag-aaralan po iyan ng Pangulo,'' she added.

(Because sometimes, when you ban legal and licensed online gaming sites, the number of illegal online gaming sites increases and that has a greater impact on the economy, so the President is studying that.)

Talking to the media on Sunday, July 20, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the government is still assessing the calls to ban online gambling.

“Yung tungkol sa online gaming, that is not akin to scams or that has nothing to do with scams and online fraud," Bersamin said.

"Well, we are still looking into it because we have to see all the ramifications that gaming of that method may be allowed to operate,” he added.

Earlier, online gaming operators licensed with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) expressed opposition over proposals for a total ban on online gambling in the country.

They warned that Filipinos might shift to unregulated sites on the black market.

In a joint statement, the companies said they “are standing united with the PAGCOR and ‘forward-thinking’ lawmakers to call for stronger regulation — not a total ban — to keep Filipino players safe and the country’s economy thriving.

At the House of Representatives, lawmakers including Negros Occidental Representative Javi Benitez and Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon are pushing for stricter regulations instead of a total ban.

Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla filed House Bill 1351, seeking to limit access to online gambling or the Kontra e-Sugal Act. — BAP/RF, GMA Integrated News