DFNN urges Philippines to employ “proportionality and precision” in online gambling restrictions
Philippines gaming technology firm DFNN has called on lawmakers to ensure that any changes to the country’s online gaming regulations are applied carefully or risk driving domestic customers to illegal offshore gaming sites.
The company, whose activities include providing back-end platforms for remote gaming operations, issued a Position Paper on the matter after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian – a leading figure in the fight against POGOs in recent years – filed a bill seeking multiple restrictions on the growing eGames or domestic online gaming sector.
Among the key provisions of the bill are increasing the minimum cash-in requirement to PHP10,000, (US$177)1 PHP = 0.0177 USD
2025-07-08Powered by CMG CurrenShift instituting a PHP5,000 (US$89)1 PHP = 0.0177 USD
2025-07-08Powered by CMG CurrenShift minimum top-up, and raising the minimum legal gambling age from 18 to 21.
It also calls for stricter know-your-customer rules, greater regulation of gambling advertising and a ban on payment platforms like GCash and Maya from working with online betting operators.
DFNN said it fully supports efforts to enhance consumer protection and mitigate problematic gambling habits but added it is equally important to consider the operational diversity across the Philippines’ holistic gaming ecosystem – “in particular, the distinction between primarily digital platforms and the legacy land-based establishments from before the onset of the legal online framework.”
The company stated, “As regulatory reforms are considered, we respectfully emphasize the importance of proportionality and precision in their application.
“Well-intended restrictions, if not carefully calibrated across distinct gaming formats, may unintentionally create incentives for certain segments of the population, particularly casual or lower-income players, to seek alternatives from unlicensed or offshore platforms. These grey market operations, which often exist beyond regulatory reach and with non-existent player safeguards, could undermine the very protections that the legislation seeks to reinforce.
“We believe there is a valuable opportunity to strike the right balance: one that strengthens accountability and social safeguards while preserving the viability of well-regulated, locally embedded operators that contribute positively to the national economy.”
DFNN noted that its own gaming network is composed of licensed, physical outlets nationwide which operate under close regulatory supervision and adhere to strict compliance standards, including robust face-to-face KYC protocols, national ID-grade facial recognition and enforcement of the minimum legal age of 21 as set by gaming regulator PAGCOR.
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