Pasig City, Philippines, bans public gambling ads
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has announced that all types of advertisements and promotions related to gambling have been banned in public areas.
The ban, formally known as Ordinance No. 26 s-2025, was announced on Monday, with Sotto describing it as a way to curb the visibility of gambling promotions and limit their effect on vulnerable people.
The ordinance was drafted by Councilor Paul Senogat. It bans gambling ads on billboards, public transport vehicles regulated by the city, terminals, building wraps, posters, LED screens, brochures, flyers, and other forms of street-level media.
Gambling advertising will only be allowed within the physical premises of licensed casinos or betting venues.
According to the Mayor’s office, the regulation is supported by research showing that promotional materials can influence people trying to avoid or reduce their gambling activity.
Speaking on social media, Sotto welcomed the ordinance, describing it as an important step for the city.
He also echoed the research findings, emphasizing how gambling advertising contributes to harmful behavior, “I have seen so many lives ruined and people addicted because of active-play gambling games. If a person seeks it voluntarily, that’s their decision; but it’s a different matter when you are constantly reminded or encouraged to return.”
The ordinance is expected to take effect after a period of notification. Gambling advertising remains legal, however, outside the city and nationwide.
Last month, the country’s gambling regulator, PAGCOR, announced that igaming revenue surged 17.4% during its third quarter, generating PHP41.95 billion (US$709 million)1 PHP = 0.0169 USD
2025-12-08Powered by CMG CurrenShift in revenue.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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The Backstory
How a city-level ad ban fits a broader pivot
Pasig City’s prohibition on public-facing gambling promotions lands in the middle of a fast-moving recalibration of how the Philippines polices online betting, adjacent marketing and the industry’s gray zones. City halls are taking sharper steps to limit exposure in shared spaces and on government-owned networks. National agencies are tightening enforcement and immigration rules tied to offshore operators. Global platforms are revising ad policies to avoid regulatory blowback. Together, those moves show how the effort to curb gambling harms is shifting from singular raids or warnings to an ecosystem approach aimed at access, visibility and incentives.
The stakes span consumer protection, public-sector productivity and state revenues. Local leaders argue that relentless promotion fuels risky play, especially among young or vulnerable users. Regulators and police target illegal operations that siphon funds from authorized programs and expose Filipinos to fraud. Platforms and ad networks, sensitive to cross-border enforcement, are closing channels once used to acquire customers at scale. The result is a patchwork of restrictions that, when layered, could meaningfully change how and where gambling-related businesses reach audiences in the Philippines.
Local governments tighten the digital perimeter
City actions are not stopping at billboards and bus wraps. Cebu City recently approved a resolution to block igaming sites and VPN tools on government-provided internet, including public Wi-Fi. The measure, authored by Councilor Nyza “Nice” Archival, directs the IT office to maintain a live blacklist and monitor compliance. It also reinforces a longstanding ban on employees gambling while on duty. The vote backs a broader national push, including the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 filed by Senate leaders. Read more about Cebu City’s move to ban igaming and VPNs on government networks.
This municipal-first strategy matters for two reasons. First, it narrows the available on-ramps for new users by cutting off advertising and access in public domains the government controls. Second, it signals coordination with national goals without waiting for a single sweeping law. Blocking VPNs, in particular, speaks to enforcement realism. Officials recognize that site blocking alone is insufficient if users can easily route around filters. Cebu’s plan to police extensions and apps attempts to close that gap and could serve as a template for other LGUs.
Big platforms recalibrate ad policies
Even as cities act locally, global platforms are adjusting rules that determine what audiences see. Google recently updated its gambling policy to make clear that sweepstakes casinos do not qualify as social casino games. That means operators using dual-currency models that redeem virtual coins for cash are shut out from Google Ads certification. Violations trigger immediate suspensions. The change aligns the company with U.S. state actions labeling sweepstakes casinos as disguised gambling. See Google’s policy shift to ban sweepstakes casino ads.
The short-term impact is to shrink a once-permissive advertising channel for operators chasing scale while straddling regulatory definitions. The longer-term signal is stronger: platforms increasingly default to conservative interpretations where legal lines are blurry. That momentum is not limited to search and display. TikTok said it would temporarily stop igaming ads in the Philippines starting Aug. 22 and pause its real-money gambling policy pending final guidance from authorities. Its rules keep social casino content behind age gates and require disclaimers. Read how TikTok plans to halt gambling ads in the Philippines.
When platform policies converge with local regulations, advertising reach can fall quickly. A tighter media environment reduces casual exposure to gambling promotions, the very effect city leaders target, and raises acquisition costs for operators that still meet licensing standards.
Enforcement shifts from storefronts to servers
Curbing visibility is one front; pursuing illegal operators is another. Authorities in Quezon City arrested seven suspects they said were running an unlawful online gambling scheme. The raid, led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s cybercrime unit with police support, seized mobile devices that allegedly powered the operation. The suspects face charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and other laws. DICT leaders framed the case as part of a directive to clean up cyberspace of illegal activity and protect vulnerable users. Details on the operation are here: seven arrested in a Quezon City online gambling raid.
These actions illustrate a practical reality: as gambling moves online, enforcement follows data trails, payment flows and app infrastructure. The same logic underpins municipal efforts to block known domains and VPNs. Each step is designed to raise the cost of doing business outside licensure and to reduce the odds that illegal operators can simply rebuild audience funnels after takedowns.
POGO fallout and immigration hard lines
Offshore operators have been an outsized focus as regulators unwind the POGO era. The Bureau of Immigration recently barred deportation flights with layovers for foreign nationals linked to crimes tied to POGOs, a move meant to close loopholes and prevent regrouping in other jurisdictions. The rule change followed a raid in Makati City that netted 131 arrests tied to an alleged illegal operation. The bureau’s coordination with the Department of Justice and airlines points to a system-level response that stretches beyond policing to logistics and cross-border compliance. For more, see the bureau’s ban on layover flights for POGO fugitives.
Taken together with ad and access restrictions, immigration guardrails aim to disrupt the operator pipelines that supplied labor, tech and capital to illicit hubs. They also mirror a policy shift under the Marcos administration to shrink the offshore sector’s footprint after a string of criminal cases and diplomatic concerns.
What to watch as rules tighten
City and platform actions are moving faster than national legislation, but they are shaping the operating environment in real time. Expect more LGUs to study network-level blocks and public ad bans, especially where public Wi-Fi and transit assets give cities leverage. Watch how platforms harmonize policies; when leaders like Google and TikTok move, others often follow to reduce regulatory risk.
Enforcement will hinge on technical execution. Blacklists need constant updates. VPN blocking requires device-level controls and staff cooperation. Sustained interagency work will matter as cybercrime teams handle more cases and courts process digital evidence. Immigration actions will test coordination with airlines and foreign embassies.
Finally, watch the balance with licensed play. The regulator reported strong igaming revenue growth last quarter, which underscores the economic stakes of pushing illegal operators out while keeping regulated channels stable. If cities limit public promotions and major platforms close advertising gates, licensed operators may shift toward first-party channels, partnerships and on-premise marketing. The outcome policymakers seek is lower public exposure to gambling prompts, fewer illegal outlets and a market that competes on compliance rather than ubiquity of ads.
