Philippine Senator Migz Zubiri files Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 to combat escalating addiction crisis
In a decisive step to tackle the escalating online gambling issue, Philippine Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri files the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025.
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| Photo from The Philippine Star |
No more online gambling in the Philippines?
At a press conference, Senator Migz Zubiri is advocating for the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025. It is a landmark bill aimed at banning all forms of online gambling in the Philippines. He has described online gambling in the Philippines as a "silent epidemic" that threatens Filipino families and youth. Under the bill, fines range from PHP 20 million to PHP 100 million.
Zubiri is seeking to prohibit digital betting platforms, mobile apps, and websites that enable wagering. While the administration had closed its doors to offshore gaming operators, online gambling has emerged as an even more dangerous problem that has crept into people's homes, even after the supposed ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs.
The Senator has emphasized in the press conference that there is an urgent need to curb online gambling, which he claims has infiltrated homes and is particularly harmful to minors.
Let's not kid ourselves. Gambling addiction looks different now. It's a kid with a phone under the covers at 2 AM, losing the family's grocery money on an online casino site - Senator Migz Zubiri
He highlights the ease of access to digital platforms, coupled with aggressive marketing and celebrity endorsements, has normalized gambling, even among children who create fake accounts to bypass age restrictions.
Zubiri is also calling on public figures to exercise caution in endorsing gambling platforms, pointing to the proliferation of ads on payment wallets and social media trends like 'scatter' memes that trivialize financial losses from online betting.
The bill also mandates ISPs or Internet Service Providers, mobile network operators, and digital platforms to block access to gambling websites and remove related apps within 72 hours upon notice from the Department of Justice or Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR).
Lastly, Zubiri acknowledges the challenges in passing the bill, stating that they will be up against powerful individuals. He is referring to influential stakeholders in the gaming industry. Despite this, he urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take a firm stance against online gambling, citing the president's prior action in banning POGOs as a precedent.
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