Marcos warns of online gambling harms, calls for regulation

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. warned about the social harm caused by online gambling and called for regulation amid growing concerns ahead of his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.

The President acknowledged that digitalization has improved public services but noted its misuse for scams, misinformation, and easy access to gambling, which is destroying many Filipino families through addiction.

Lawmakers and civil society groups are calling for a total ban on online gambling operations in response to the increasing problem.

While the administration supports the rollout of public Wi-Fi, fiber internet infrastructure, and digital education platforms, Marcos stressed the need for regulation and responsible use, with Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto hinting that further details might be revealed in his upcoming SONA speech.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is drafting a circular to require banks and e-wallet providers to implement safeguards such as transaction limits related to gaming, while the Department of Finance (DoF) is weighing policy proposals including additional taxes on online gaming.