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A push to outlaw online gambling in the Philippines is gaining momentum, with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go adding his voice and legislative backing to the effort. He filed Senate Bill No. 686, titled the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, which proposes a full ban on internet-based betting in the country.
The measure would criminalize not only running online gambling operations, but also participating in them—placing bets, accepting them, or transmitting gambling data online. Penalties under the bill range from heavy fines to jail time.
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Senator Go called attention to what he sees as growing harm caused by internet betting saying:
“The social cost has grown too big and too deep. [Online gambling] preys on the vulnerable, erodes family values, and poses risks to financial integrity.”
His proposal outlines prison sentences ranging from one to six months, or fines between PHP100,000 and PHP500,000, for anyone involved in online gambling activities. Corporate officials or association leaders found guilty could face up to five years in prison and a PHP500,000 penalty.
Public servants would face the maximum punishment under the bill if caught promoting or engaging in such activity, including immediate dismissal and a permanent ban from holding any government position.
At the national level, the Marcos administration is reportedly considering these calls for a full prohibition. Claire Castro, undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office, confirmed earlier in the week that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is reviewing the issue.
If passed, Senator Go’s bill would overturn all existing laws that currently authorize or regulate online gambling for local residents, effectively ending the country’s legal internet betting industry.