Philippines senator files bill to ban online gambling

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A Filipino legislator has filed a bill that would introduce a complete ban on online gambling in the country.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed his bill, named the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, earlier this week, describing igaming as a silent epidemic that is destroying people’s lives.

Senator Zubiri, a former Senate president, warned that despite offshore casino gaming operators having been largely shut down, the new threat was from digital gambling.

Zubiri said in a statement, “Let’s not kid ourselves. Gambling addiction looks different now. It no longer looks like a person getting addicted to a casino or a cab. It now looks like a kid with a phone under the covers at 2 am, losing the family’s grocery money on an online casino site.”

The bill would ban all types of online gambling, including apps, websites, and other digital platforms that facilitate gambling.

It would also require internet providers and mobile companies to block all access to illegal sites within 72 hours of receiving a notification from the country’s gambling regulator, PAGCOR, or the Department of Justice.

Heavy fines or a loss of license could be the consequence of failing to act.

Zubiri also condemned what he described as the normalization of gambling online through celebrity endorsements and advertising, stating that young people were being drawn into criminal behavior such as stealing, just to be able to place a bet.

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The filing of the bill comes days after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian faced scrutiny for introducing a proposal that would impose stricter regulations on igaming in the country.

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