Raffy Tulfo Calls Out Influencers Over Illegal Online Gambling
RAFFY TULFO – The senator has urged celebrities and social media influencers to stop promoting illegal online gambling platforms. His statement comes as the Philippine government intensifies its crackdown on unauthorized betting operations.
Tulfo, who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, reminded influencers to consider the possible harm their endorsements could cause. While promoting gambling may seem like a simple source of income, Tulfo warned that it could lead to gambling addiction among their followers, friends, and even family members. He explained that what influencers may view as just a job could unknowingly destroy the lives of people close to them.
He also pointed out that followers might eventually turn away from these influencers, blaming them for financial problems and broken lives caused by gambling. Tulfo urged influencers to carefully consider the long-term impact of their promotions on their audience.
“Dapat isipin nila ang epekto sa kanilang followers. Baka sa huli, imbes na matuwa, aalis na sa kanila at ‘di na magpa-follow. Baka sabihin pa, ‘Dahil sa iyo, na-bankrupt ako. Nasira ang buhay ko’,” he said.
His remarks followed a new directive from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), which warned influencers against promoting unlicensed online gambling platforms. According to the CICC, about 80% of top-tier content creators have already removed gambling-related content, but 20% continue to promote such sites.
To address the issue, the CICC has coordinated with major social media platforms to remove accounts of repeat violators. The cybercrime unit of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is also investigating 13 high-profile influencers, who collectively have around 46 million followers.
It was also revealed that many influencers earn about 50% to 60% of their income from promoting these gambling sites, most of which operate without proper licenses or safety standards. Tulfo emphasized that while such promotions may offer quick earnings, they could cause lasting harm to their audience and loved ones.
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