In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Marcos made a bold declaration to ban all existing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country in an attempt to end various crimes such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder that come with POGO operations.

A year later, online gambling started gaining the same clamor POGO ban had.

Marcos has been urged to also ban online gambling in the country as access to various online gambling platforms have been made easier for everyone, including the young ones.

After weeks of having only the Palace Press Officer speak about Marcos' stance on the issue, Marcos finally made a public statement about it.

He, however, did not show any hint if he will give it the same treatment as the POGO crackdown last year.

In his vlog on July 20, the President appreciated the positive impacts of digitalization but recognized that it comes with disadvantages such as the proliferation of scams and gambling.

He acknowledged that digitalization made it easier for online gambling platforms to be accessed, and later caused damage not only to the users but also to their families.

"Sa kabila naman ng magagandang development na ito, nakakalungkot na ginagamit din ito ng mga masasamang loob. Sa mga scam, sa mga fake news, sa pagpapalaganap ng maling impormasyon at marami sa atin ang nabi-biktima rito (Despite these positive developments, it is unfortunate that they are also being exploited by wrongdoers. Through scams, fake news, and the spread of misinformation, many of us fall victim to these acts)," Marcos said.

"Ang isa pang pinadali ng digitalization ay ang pagsusugal. Maraming pamilya na nasisira dito, lalo na kung hindi responsable ang pagkakagamit (Another thing that digitalization has made easier is gambling. Many families are being torn apart because of this, especially when it is used irresponsibly)," Marcos added.

He reminded the public that "technology is here to make our lives easier, to steer the government away from corruption, to speed up processes, and to improve education, healthcare, and commerce."

"Higit sa lahat, para magtagumpay at magbuklod ang pamilyang Pilipino. Hindi para sirain ito (Above all, it is meant to help the Filipino family succeed and be united — not to destroy it)," Marcos said.

Asked multiple times if the President would potentially make an announcement of banning all forms of online gambling, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos will not oppose any measure seeking to address gambling addiction among Filipinos, including the imposition of new tax on online gambling operators.

“[G]usto nating limitahan ang ganitong klaseng mga pagsusugal at mabawasan ang mga gumon sa sugal at ito po ay para sa taumbayan at ang lahat ng puwedeng suggestion at maaaring batas para ito ay masawata, hindi naman po iyan tututulan ng ating Pangulo (We want to limit this kind of gambling and reduce the number of people addicted to it, and this is for the benefit of the public. Any suggestions or possible laws to curb it will not be opposed by our President),” Castro said in a Palace briefing on July 7.

She added that the President would also study the proposal to outright ban or impose tighter regulations on online gambling operators and e-wallets.

When asked if the President would support regulating online gambling promotions done by social media influencers, Castro stated that the move must be studied carefully before the administration takes action about it.

The Palace official said it must be studied first as such a move might violate their freedom of expression.

Marcos will deliver his fourth SONA on Monday, July 28 at the Batasang Pambansa.