Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to completely cut the link between electronic wallets and online gambling platforms, warning that seamless fund transfers fuel gambling addiction. He also called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to shut down operators found violating regulations.

“Hindi na dapat ini-investigate, ipasara niyo na agad,” Gatchalian told PAGCOR officials during a Senate hearing, adding that a review is no longer necessary since many operators still slip through despite the agency’s so-called regulations. 

“Huwag nang i-mandato ang lahat ng e-wallet providers at mga bangko na i-screen kung legal or ilegal ang online gambling platforms dahil hindi rin naman nila gagawin ‘yun,” Gatchalian told BSP officials, adding that even illegal gambling sites can also be linked to banks and e-wallets. 

During the same hearing, Gatchalian presented alarming data showing that the number of Filipinos engaged in online gambling skyrocketed to 32.117 million as of May this year, a massive increase from only 8.208 million by the end of 2024. This accounts for roughly half of the country’s adult population

“Dahan-dahan nang kinakain ang bansa natin ng pagsusugal,” Gatchalian concluded.