E-wallets told to drop gambling links

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday ordered all electronic wallets (e-wallets), banks and other supervised institutions to remove in-app gambling assets, including any links that direct users to gaming or gambling websites.

“The BSP directive is issued in light of the surge in online gambling transactions and its impact on the financial health of consumers and their families, and considering the broader social cost,” the central bank said in a statement late Thursday.

The BSP said the suspension will remain in place until its guidelines for online gambling payment services are finalized.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan said these financial firms were given 48 hours to remove the links that redirect users to gambling websites.

“The Monetary Board of the BSP has approved our policy ordering BSP-supervised institutions to take down and remove all icons and links redirecting to online gambling sites,” he said during a Senate committee hearing on online gambling.

In separate statements, GCash and Maya said they will comply with the BSP’s directive immediately.

E-wallets such as GCash and Maya have integrated gambling-related services in their apps, making it easy for users to access online casinos. This has helped fuel the popularity of online gambling in recent years.

However, concerns over rising gambling addiction and mounting debt have prompted lawmakers and regulators to consider measures to ban or restrict online gambling in the country.

Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano questioned why it would take 48 hours to remove the links to online gaming sites when it could be done immediately.

“Why do they need 48 hours? Isn’t that instant? So if someone dies in 48 hours because they are addicted (to online gambling), is that okay?” said Mr. Cayetano, who heads the Senate Committee on Banks and Financial Institutions.

Mr. Tangonan said the 48 hours would be enough time for e-wallet operators to remove all links to online gambling sites.

“The other reason is so that we would give time for the customers to withdraw their funds from the online gaming account, once they learn that we are already removing the links from the mobile payment applications and websites,” he added.

Mr. Tangonan said that the removal of links to online gaming sites is an “immediate measure” as the BSP is still finalizing new rules to mitigate gambling-related harm by strengthening financial safeguards across banks, e-wallets, and payment platforms.

“The suspension of the in-house links from the mobile apps is an immediate measure, while we are finalizing regulations (on online gaming sites),” he said.

Mr. Tangonan said the use of credit cards to pay for online bets will also be prohibited by the BSP.

The BSP also proposed measures such as biometric ID checks, daily transaction limits, time-based payment restrictions, and user tools for spending caps, voluntary breaks, and self-exclusion.

The central bank said these safeguards aim to curb addiction, fraud, and financial harm while encouraging responsible use of digital finance.

E-WALLETS TO UPDATE APPS
GCash said they will immediately enforce the changes on its app once it receives the official directive from the BSP.

“We share the BSP’s commitment to ensuring that digital financial services are used responsibly and in ways that protect the welfare of Filipinos,” GCash said.

Maya said the app will be updated in line with the BSP’s guidance.

“We assure customers that their accounts and transactions remain secure and fully operational. We remain focused on serving our customers while fully complying with regulatory requirements,” Maya said.

Senator Erwin T. Tulfo, who chairs the Games and Amusements Committee, warned that he would cite the BSP official in contempt if e-wallets still have links to gaming sites once the 48-hour deadline ends.

“Don’t mess with this committee. We have a problem, we have a crisis. When you say that the deadline is on Saturday, I’ll give you until Sunday. If there are still (gaming links) on e-wallets on Sunday morning, we’ll cite you in contempt,” Mr. Tulfo said.

Sought for comment, Ronald B. Gustilo, national campaigner for Digital Pinoys group, said that the central bank should ensure that all e-wallet platforms comply with its order to remove links to gaming websites.

“Noncompliance should be met with harsh penalties such as suspension or even revocation of license,” Mr. Gustilo said in a Viber message.

“Ultimately, the protection and well-being of each Filipino should be the paramount agenda of any policy or regulation implemented by the government,” he added.

Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III, coordinator of Action for Economic Reforms, said that the BSP should utilize advanced technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor fraudulent activities linked to online gambling.

“Advanced technologies that monitor activities in real time are available. AI too is a good tool to monitor patterns of fraudulent activities,” Mr. Sta Ana said in a Viber message.

Mr. Tulfo also called on the BSP, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and other government agencies to create “concise solutions” against online gambling.

“We want a clear and concise solution. We are talking now because majority of us wants total ban on online gambling while you are asking for regulation due to foregone revenues. From the Senate’s end, we are inclined to ban it because social ills outweigh the income benefits,” he added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has earlier said that a ban may drive people toward illegal gambling platforms. He called for a broad consultation involving various stakeholders before making a decision.

For its part, PAGCOR said that it was still studying if it would impose higher collection rates for licensed gaming operators.

“The PAGCOR is talking to (the Department of Finance) and we are studying the possibility,” PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco told reporters.

Mr. Tengco, however, warned that imposing higher collection fees could encourage some to operate illegally instead.

“Let’s see if we should raise it a little bit so that it will be more tight, or maybe it will backfire and the illegal (operators) will be more profitable,” he added.

PAGCOR collects a 30% rate from e-gaming platforms. This was earlier slashed from 35% to encourage more illegal gambling operators to register.

According to PAGCOR, the gaming industry’s gross gaming revenues (GGR) jumped by 26% to P214.75 billion in the first half of 2025. This was driven by the electronic games sector which saw a 53.47% increase in gross revenues to P114.83 billion.

PAGCOR expects GGR to surpass P480 billion in 2025.