Philippines Faces 32 Million Online Gambling Addicts
PAGCOR – About 32 million Filipinos are now addicted to online gambling, alarming senators and prompting urgent calls for stricter government action.
Senators have strongly condemned the rising cases of online gambling in the country following alarming data released by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). According to PAGCOR’s July 2025 report, about 32.1 million Filipinos are now hooked on online gambling. This figure reflects nearly a 200% increase from just 8.2 million recorded last year.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, Chair of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, expressed grave concern, stating that online gambling—whether legal or illegal—is destroying the lives of many Filipinos. He emphasized that the problem goes beyond regulation and is already causing social and financial damage to families across the nation.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian shared the same concern, warning that if left unchecked, online gambling could potentially consume almost the entire adult population of the Philippines in the coming years. He highlighted the urgency of the matter and called for stronger government action to protect Filipinos from the harmful effects of gambling addiction.
As part of the response, Senator Gatchalian directed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to prohibit the linking of online gambling sites—whether licensed or unlicensed—to e-wallets and online banking platforms. He stressed that allowing these connections makes it easier for Filipinos to gamble, worsening the addiction crisis.
He also urged the BSP to conduct a thorough review of its current regulations, pointing out that loopholes still exist and some gambling operations continue to slip through despite existing rules. Gatchalian criticized the current measures as ineffective and pushed for tighter monitoring and enforcement to curb the problem.
Meanwhile, PAGCOR, or the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, is a government-owned corporation that regulates and operates gambling in the Philippines. It oversees casinos and online gaming, generates revenue for the government, and helps fund national projects.