Pagcor blocks 5,793 out of 7,747 illegal online gambling sites

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) reported Tuesday that it has blocked 5,793 out of the 7,747 online gambling websites and apps deemed illegal since Pagcor chairperson Alejandro Tengco's appointment in 2022.

Senior Vice President Raul Villanueva disclosed during a Senate committee hearing that Pagcor monitors various types of illegal sites including e-sabong, Facebook ads, mobile applications, offshore sites, and spam messages.

Despite challenges posed by criminals using cryptocurrency as payment methods, Pagcor has reached out to digital payment gateways like GCash and Paymaya to prevent transactions with illegal gambling platforms.

Pagcor is also collaborating with Google Play and Apple App Store to shut down illegal e-sabong applications, leading to a reduction in Facebook ads for such sites but an increase in advertisements on chat rooms like Telegram.

Despite these efforts, 1,954 illegal gambling websites remain active, highlighting the ongoing challenge of eradicating online gambling operations.