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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Endorsers beware: Gatchalian bill to penalize promotion of illegal online gambling sites

Endorsers beware: Gatchalian bill to penalize promotion of illegal online gambling sites

Published Jul 19, 2025 05:00 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Sherwin Gatchalian will file a bill penalizing companies and personalities promoting illegal online gambling in the Philippines, citing its harm to society and lost government revenues.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is set to file a bill that seeks to penalize companies as well as personalities who are involved in the promotion and activities of illegal online gambling in the Philippines.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate PRIB photo)
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate PRIB photo)
"Maglalabas kami ng isang batas: Lahat ng kumpanya o tao na konektado sa iligal na online gambling, parurusahan (We will pass a law: All companies or individuals connected to illegal online gambling will be punished)," Gatchalian said in an interview on Saturday, July 19 over DWIZ.
"So, for example, ikaw ay advertising agency, ikaw ay endorser, influencer, ikaw ay e-wallet. Basta ini-endorse mo yung mga iligal, parurusahan ka rin nitong bagong batas (So, for example, if you’re an advertising agency, an endorser, an influencer, or an e-wallet. If you promote illegal activities, you will also be punished under this new law)," he added.
Citing information from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), he said that they discovered that a handful of influencers, including actors, were endorsing illegal online gambling.
He says that these endorsers have no idea that what they are promoting is unlawful.
Gatchalian said that he also found out that they received commissions for every bet made.
"So, kaya itong mga illegal online gambling sites, eh ano rin, mas mabigat ng perwisyo yan sa atin dahil walang pinabayad ni isang kusing sa gobyerno (These illegal online gambling sites are an even bigger nuisance to us because they don’t pay a single centavo to the government)," he added.
The senator earlier filed a bill that sought to regulate online gambling in a bid to curb the growing addiction of many Filipinos.
The measure bans gambling sponsorships of public events as well as campaign donations.
It mandates regulators to allocate a portion of collected regulatory fees toward the establishment of gambling addiction rehabilitation center. It also sets a minimum cash-in requirement of ₱10,000 to discourage impulsive and easy access to gambling platforms.

Related Tags

Sherwin Gatchalian online gambling e-wallet Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC)
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