Philippines Congressperson Rep. Ricardo S. Cruz, Jr. has filed a bill that seeks to outlaw all forms of online gambling in the Philippines.
House Bill 7689 will place an outright ban on all forms of online gambling within the Philippines. It also sets out punishments of up to six months in prison or a fine of as much as PHP500,000 for any person who places a wager online.
The bill also states that a president, director, manager and partners of a corporate entity that facilitates online gambling could face a jail term of up to five years or fined a maximum of PHP500,000. In addition to this, any public officer or public sector employee that participates in or promotes online gambling may face severe consequences, such as being terminated from their public service position and being barred from holding any future public office or voting rights.
In the explanatory note of House Bill 7689, Rep. Ricardo S. Cruz, Jr. said:
“While it has been a way for the government to generate income, this should not come at the cost of endangering our people, let alone minors, with activities that bring about addictive behavior as well as an increase of mental health and financial problems, vices and crime rates.”
A corresponding proposal is currently awaiting review at the committee level in the Senate.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, responsible for overseeing online gambling and gaming activities, has reported a daily earning of approximately PHP9 million from licensed gambling entities.
Last month, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian urged local governments to prohibit Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) to shield them from criminal activity. He highlighted that certain localities serving as POGO hubs, such as Manila, Pasay, and Parañaque, have started doubting the positive impact of these primarily Chinese-based online gambling operators on their economy.
As the head of the ways and means committee, Mr. Gatchalian mentioned that Pasig City was the first to pass an ordinance banning POGOs due to the social costs outweighing the benefits. He had previously presented the findings of his committee’s investigation in plenary, stating that “the POGO experiment has not delivered the promised economic advantages to the Filipino people.”
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.
