Philippines President weighs up total online gambling ban
President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, may be considering a total ban on online gambling in the country, according to Malacañang Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
Castro said in a press briefing that the President is currently weighing up the pros and cons of such a ban, with the rise of offshore illegal gambling being a primary concern if the ban were to be put in place.
Castro said, “Decisions like this are thoroughly studied to assess their impact on the economy and the public. We cannot rush into it. Sometimes, banning legal and licensed online gaming sites results in a rise in illegal platforms, which could affect the economy even more.”
Implementing taxes on the online gaming industry is also something the President is open to, a proposal that has come from the Department of Finance.
Authorities in the Philippines are already cracking down on online gambling, even without the proposed ban.
The country’s gambling regulator, PAGCOR, recently introduced a ban on billboard advertising for online gambling companies, before instituting a ban on gambling advertising during primetime TV hours.
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