PAOCC favors total ban on online gambling: ‘It ruins lives of families’

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Executive Director Gilberto Cruz has expressed support for proposals seeking to ban online gambling, which he said “ruins the lives of many families.”

Cruz said he talked with many families complaining about at least one relative suffering from online gambling addiction.

"If you have a cellphone, it's like having your own casino. I think that ban is for me—a total ban—because so many families have been destroyed because of online gambling. I've talked to many OFW (overseas Filipino workers) families complaining about their father or mother being addicted to it," Cruz said in a forum on Wednesday.

He added that dilemmas concerning online gambling have become a family issue, since most of the complainants are wives reporting their husbands or children expressing grave concern for their parents.



If the government imposes a ban on online gambling, Cruz said PAOCC will render the same support it has given to law enforcement agencies when a ban was enforced on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.

“We can provide intel reports that law enforcement agencies may use to curb the proliferation of online gambling,” he said.

According to the PAOCC official, operators of illegal online gambling are a mix of Filipinos and foreigners.

Earlier this month, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a bill seeking an outright ban on online gambling in the country, calling it a “silent epidemic” that is quietly harming Filipinos, especially minors and the most vulnerable.

Under Zubiri’s proposed measure, the Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, all forms of online gambling in the country will be prohibited.

This includes digital betting platforms, mobile applications and websites that allow users to place wagers through phones, tablets and computers.

Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Garchalian filed a bill seeking to impose stricter regulations against online gambling on July 1.

The proposed measure bans gambling sponsorships of public events and campaign donations, and requires regulators to allocate a portion of collected regulatory fees to set up gambling addiction rehabilitation centers.

It also sets a minimum cash-in requirement that prohibits the use of e-wallets to discourage impulsive and easy access to gambling platforms and raises the minimum age of players from 18 to 21.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa supported these proposals, saying that online gambling addiction is a mental health problem. /apl