Gatchalian presses closure of gambling sites embedded in apps Philippine News Agency

This is a malicious and predatory practice that we should not tolerate,” Gatchalian said in a statement. Our clients are in a secured, private, and exclusive facility fitted with 24/7 security and medical staff. This allows them to focus on their treatment programs and ensure better recovery. With electronic gaming on the rise, Pagcor expects up to P480 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for 2025. The legitimacy of an online gambling site in the Philippines pivots on proper licensing, multi-layer compliance, and constant policy vigilance.

Definition of Online Gambling

As the first and only DOH-accredited private and professional addiction treatment center in Naga, we’re elevating the addiction treatment of Bicolanos in the region and nearby areas. BH-Laguna hopes to provide healing and recovery to people in Laguna and nearby provinces. The facility is strategically located close to provide a magnificent view of Mt. Makiling while being close to major thoroughfares. It also provides a therapeutic environment for residents as they take in beautiful scenery and fresh air, while taking dips in the hot spring pool in the facility. BH-Rizal hopes to provide private addiction treatment to those struggling with addiction in the Northeastern part of Luzon. With its strategic location in an expansive facility, it can also accommodate those from neighboring cities and provinces.

The BSP order was made on the same day that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, during the Senate public hearing on measures seeking to ban or regulate e-gambling, asked the BSP as an immediate response, to order e-wallet apps to deny all links to online gaming platforms. E-wallets have become gateways to online gambling, enabling e-gamblers to send and receive money transfers to and from registered gambling merchants. When a customer wants to deposit funds into an online casino account for instance, they select the e-wallet as their payment methods and then authorize the transfer of the funds from the e-wallet to the customer’s casino account. This method is easier compared to bank transfers, or from a debit or credit card. Pagcor, on its website, also has a list of authorized online gaming websites that offer e-casino games, e-bingo games, sports betting, specialty games and online poker games. Gatchalian had earlier filed a bill seeking stricter regulations on online gambling to curb the growing addiction of many Filipinos to the vice, which has given rise to many social ills, such as the proliferation of crimes and even mental health issues.

He said that the e-games and e-bingo segment made history by becoming the industry’s top revenue driver for the first time, contributing P51.39 billion or 49.36 percent of the total first quarter GGR. Meanwhile, from license fees alone, Pagcor earned more than P50 million last year. He said a total ban may not sufficiently deter online gambling, citing the case of e-sabong, which the government has banned but continues to thrive. A private, professional addiction rehab center that understands and reaches out to you. We believe that recovery success lies in having the right support system that helps sustain sobriety for the long-term. This is why we provide a unique service called Lifetime Aftercare and Halfway Privileges that offers lifetime counseling and support for those who have completed our program.

Alternatives/Substitutes of Online Gambling

It issues licenses to local gaming operations conducted onsite as well as online and these include electronic bingo, e-casino, online poker games, online sports betting, to name a few. Ads for these gambling platforms are everywhere on social media, on massive billboards along major highways featuring celebrities, and even on television. There are also pop-up ads on mobile phones as well as on digital payment gateways that even provide the links to participate in these games. Whether it is online casino, online sports betting, online bingo, or mobile gambling, e-gambling has become so popular that it has now surpassed traditional or walk-in casinos as a source of revenue for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor). MANILA – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged regulators to take action against online gambling operators allegedly embedding their platforms in widely used digital applications. Our Bulacan facility aims to provide security and privacy to our residents—all in a refreshing environment surrounded by nature—so that they can focus more on their recovery journey and their holistic healing.

The Department of Trade and Industry is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the advancement, promotion, governance, regulation, management and growth of industry and trade. A new addition to our Bridges of Hope family, our Bulacan facility opened in Q with an aim to cater to those needing addiction and behavioral treatment in Bulacan and nearby areas. Those who have been abusing substances or are involved in unhealthy behaviors would experience varying degrees of physical and mental health deterioration.

We not only have a team of medical specialists–we also have an internationally credentialed and highly experienced roster of facilitators, counselors, and therapists. We provide a wide range of counseling and therapy services to address the different needs of our clients. Hindi puwedeng basta na lang gawing sugalan ang ating mga cellphone at online apps (These sites are appearing everywhere. The government must act faster! Our phones and online apps cannot simply be turned into gambling platforms),” he added.

• The treatment center, with its secure and private location, aims to allow residents to focus on their holistic healing and their recovery while being around peers and counsellors, as well as a 24/7 in-house medical team, so they get optimal therapeutic care.
• The BSP order was made on the same day that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, during the Senate public hearing on measures seeking to ban or regulate e-gambling, asked the BSP as an immediate response, to order e-wallet apps to deny all links to online gaming platforms.
• Last Aug. 16, access to gaming sites and apps through the Games feature on the Maya app will be disabled.
• With accelerating technological change and political scrutiny, operators and players alike must navigate an increasingly intricate legal maze—one that balances the State’s revenue objectives with social-welfare imperatives.
• When a customer wants to deposit funds into an online casino account for instance, they select the e-wallet as their payment methods and then authorize the transfer of the funds from the e-wallet to the customer’s casino account.

Our first facility in Visayas, BH-Cebu opens its doors to recovering addicts and their families located in the Visayas and Mindanao Region–bringing hope and recovery right in the City of Smiles. online casino 50 minimum deposit Located along a major thoroughfare along Aguirre Avenue, but still strategically nestled in a quiet area to provide privacy and exclusivity, our BF Homes facility is our Main Headquarters. They are in a professionally managed, structured, and therapeutic environment–away from the triggers and dangers that their addictions bring. Online gambling has become such a lucrative industry in the Philippines and is now one of the biggest sources of funds for the government.

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BH-Pampanga reaches out to those individuals and families struggling with addiction in the Northwestern part of Luzon. It aims to provide addiction treatment to those in Pampanga and neighboring provinces. The BSP is now in the final stages of crafting tighter payment regulations aimed at curbing online gambling addiction and shielding Filipinos from the financial harm that it can cause. Several bills have been filed in Congress to restrict online gambling accessibility, especially through digital payment platforms that host and link gambling content, if not totally ban it. “I am deeply concerned by reports that online gambling has infiltrated some of the most widely used digital platforms, including messaging apps and e-commerce sites such as Viber, Telegram, and Lazada.