In the Philippines, numerous influencers continue to actively promote illegal gambling, yet the authorities are now close to curbing such activity.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre (CICC) under the Department of Information and Communications Technology has compiled a list of 30 influencers who, according to its data, are involved in promoting illegal online gambling platforms.
This list was handed over to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for further investigation.
According to CICC’s Chief Undersecretary Renato Paraiso, the most popular of these influencers have audiences ranging from 1.1 to 9.2 million followers. He stated that they could face charges for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Presidential Decree No. 1602, which increases penalties for illegal gambling, as well as Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code on fraud.
The investigation into illegal gambling promotions was conducted by CICC with the support of Digital Pinoy, a civil society partner of the agency.
As a result of their joint efforts last month, over 1,600 unlicensed gambling websites were identified, many of which were mirror sites designed to bypass regulatory blocks.
Against this backdrop, the country’s gambling regulator PAGCOR allocated PHP 50 million ($849,000) to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to strengthen efforts against the illegal market.
“Illegal gambling operators undermine the law, exploit citizens, and put our communities at risk,” emphasized PAGCOR Chair and CEO Alejandro Tengco.
While the Philippine Senate continues to consider a full ban on online gaming, Tengco has repeatedly warned that such a move would only strengthen the black market and “deprive the government of critically needed revenue.”
He also highlighted the need for strict regulation to reduce player engagement and redirect activity away from unlicensed platforms.
Tengco noted that illegal sites not only deprive the economy of significant revenue but also increase risks for Filipino players. Moreover, he stressed: “Every peso earned by PAGCOR is returned to the people through schools, healthcare facilities, disaster response programs, and other community projects.”
In the first nine months of the year, PAGCOR contributed PHP 54.26 billion ($920 million) to national development.
On November 17, PAGCOR also announced PHP 32.85 million ($558,000) in assistance to families affected by Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan, which struck large regions of the country over the past two weeks, resulting in nearly 300 fatalities.
Modernisation Context
PAGCOR recently announced a modernisation strategy aimed at strengthening digital growth and moving into a new era.
Despite ongoing discussions and uncertainty surrounding the future of online gaming in the Philippines, the regulated sector continues to evolve and grow.
The regulator reported nearly a 50% increase in net revenue for the first three quarters of 2025 compared to the same period last year, which Tengco described as clear evidence of the positive impact of adopting new tech-driven initiatives.
Net revenue for Q3 2025 reached PHP 14.32 billion ($243 million), up from PHP 9.63 billion ($163 million) in the same period last year.
This growth was supported by a 5.87% year-on-year increase in total revenue to PHP 84.09 billion ($1.43 billion), of which PHP 75.93 billion ($1.29 billion) came from gaming operations.
The agency has focused on modernising the casino sector, adapting the overall betting industry to a post-POGO future. The latest reports show the results of major investments in slot machines: PAGCOR acquired 1,968 machines from RGB International Bhd, a casino equipment supplier and distributor.
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