With governmental calls for a nationwide ban on iGaming intensifying, a department of the Philippines‘ government has prohibited its personnel from engaging with online gambling.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a directive, confirming that all DILG personnel and employees of its attached agencies, as well as elected and appointed local government officials, are now banned from accessing online gambling platforms.
The notice extends a previous directive that banned casino gambling to online platforms, which the DILG contends pose “an equal – if not greater – threat” to the integrity of public services.
“Public office is a public trust,” read the DILG’s statement. “Engaging in online gambling undermines the credibility of our institutions and diverts public servants from their sworn duty to serve with integrity, competence, and loyalty.”
Anyone who violates the order could face criminal sanctions and the order takes effect immediately.
The Philippine Senate’s Majority Leader, Joel Villanueva, hailed the DILG’s move, and urged the Civil Service Commission to adopt a similar policy to cover all civil servants in the country.
Thursday represents the start of a crucial period for the future of the Philippines’ online gaming sector.
An inquiry is set to begin on Thursday that will consider a total of four bills, including Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri’s ‘Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025’, which seeks to implement an outright ban on online gambling.
Introduced in July, Zubiri described gambling addiction in the Philippines as a growing “silent epidemic”. He added: “For as long as gambling is within reach by almost anyone online, this is a social cancer that will continue to fester”.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has also set forth a proposal to bring in more stringent regulations surrounding gambling, which include a ban on using e-wallets to fund online betting, a minimum player age of 21 and, to discourage participation by low-income players, a minimum deposit requirement of P10,000 (£130).
Adding to the industry’s woes, the country’s President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has also previously lambasted the ease of which digitisation has allowed Filipinos to access gambling products.
He said: “One of the things digitalisation has made easier is gambling. Many families are being destroyed by it, especially when used irresponsibly. Technology should help make Filipino families successful and united, not destroy them.”
When questioned by the media, the President’s Press Officer, Clare Castro, has failed to rule out the possibility of increased regulation or total prohibition, explaining that the President is weighing up the consequences of making such a drastic decision.
In the days before the inquiry begins, 19 operators have formed the PlaySafe Alliance of the Philippines.
The group states that in doing so they have demonstrated their commitment to responsible gaming, regulatory compliance, consumer protection and combatting illegal gambling.
Digiplus, the country’s largest gaming operator and a member of the PlaySafe Alliance, has also previously emphasised that the touted outright ban could lead to over 50,000 job losses.
The company’s Chair, Eusebio Tanco, implored the country’s lawmakers to consider the potential consequences of a total ban.
He stated: “We are open to evolving and improving wherever needed. If there are new standards to meet, or better ways to protect players, we will act swiftly and responsibly. But please, do not condemn an industry, and the 50,000 Filipino families who rely on it, without hearing the facts first.”
The company, which operates brands such as BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, suggested that the licensed industry is being “made to answer for the crimes of illegal operators who respect neither law nor livelihood”.
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