President Marcos skips online gambling ban in state of the nation address

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Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr delivered his fourth state of the nation address on Monday but left out the rising contentious issue of whether to regulate or ban online gambling.

Despite addressing economic growth, food security, and energy reforms, the President made no mention of online gaming, which is under fire for its alleged social costs and ties to criminality.

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Legislation seeking tighter regulation or outright prohibition is currently pending in both houses. The Cebu archbishop-designate also urged President Marcos last week to implement a permanent ban on online gambling.

President Marcos’ avoidance of the issue also caused criticism from lawmakers, including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman George T. Barcelon, who said that failing to act on online gambling would lead to public safety concerns.

Barcelon told Business World, “The government just has to be vigilant because normally when it comes to gambling, you attract the wrong kind of lawlessness.”

Regulation of online gambling in the Philippines has been a hot topic in recent months. At the beginning of July, Filipino Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025. The bill calls for a complete ban on e-gaming in the country.

In addition, another bill was filed towards the end of June that targets e-wallets, enforcing more stringent regulations on them to combat growing concerns about gambling addiction.

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