A BILL seeking to regulate online gambling platforms in the country “to address reports of worsening gambling addiction particularly among the youth” has been filed in the House.
The House Bill No. 1351, or Kontra E-Sugal Bill filed by Anakbayan party-list, limits access to online gambling platforms to individuals aged 21 and above, and mandates platforms to require government-issued identification for registration, said the party-list.
“We cannot gamble away our youth’s future. Our children cannot become collateral in the jackpot dreams of gambling tycoons,” said Anakbayan party-list’s Rep. Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” Diokno.
“We need a whole-of-government approach if we want to combat the ill effects of online gambling. ‘Wag nating hayaang isugal ng ating mga kababayan, hindi lang ang kanilang pera kundi pati buhay at pangarap,” he added.
The bill bans e-wallets and super apps from advertising and linking to online gambling. It also prohibits online gambling ads in public spaces.
Under the bill, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is mandated to set daily, weekly, and monthly betting and loss limits. Breaching the limits entails auto-suspension.
The bill also seeks to impose a 10 percent tax on online gambling, which the party-list said will fund addiction rehabilitation, education, enforcement, and research.
There will also be a National Online Gambling Self-Exclusion Registry to be maintained and administered by PAGCOR.
Once the bill is passed into a law, the government is also required to “adopt a comprehensive, evidence-based, and multi-sectoral approach to prevent and mitigate gambling-related harms.”
Aside from the Akbayan-filed bill, House Bill 721 or the proposed Anti-Online Online Gambling Promotions in E-Wallets Act has also been filed, seeking to restrict e-wallets’ promotion of online gambling platforms.
Meanwhile, Sen. Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano also filed a bill in Senate, which aside from users, will also penalize online gambling operators and enablers.
The Senate bill also seeks to establish an Online Gambling Control Task Force under the Office of the President.
PAGCOR, for its part, vowed to follow any regulations to be set by the law to curb Filipinos’ engagement with online gambling.
It also assured the public that it is intensifying its crackdown against illegal online gaming activities. (ABS-CBN News)
