Philippine Senate panel to begin online gambling probe
The Senate committee on games and amusement will begin hearings this week on several bills aimed at addressing problems linked to online gambling in the Philippines.
Committee chair Senator Erwin Tulfo said it was an urgent issue that required immediate action.
Tulfo supports a total ban on online gambling but has said he intends to hear from key agencies, such as PAGCOR and the Department of Finance, to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of such a move.
In comments ahead of the hearings, Tulfo lamented the lack of earlier regulation that allowed unrestrained gambling, including participation by minors. “You have to weigh: you have your earnings, but you also have a lot of social ills. People are getting addicted to gambling. What’s more important, money or the future of the youth?,” he said.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has also demanded tighter rules, urging the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to ban e-wallets from linking directly to online gambling sites to prevent easy access.
During the hearings, the Senate will review four bills and three resolutions related to the social and financial impacts of online gambling.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Palace is preparing a multisectoral consultation involving groups like the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which has long opposed gambling in general.
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