MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos wants to consult various sectors on the proposal to ban online gambling, noting that gaming entities would go underground and would no longer be subjected to regulation if such a crackdown is imposed.
In a podcast interview aired yesterday, Marcos said the government needs to hear the views of stakeholders like the clergy and parents since the victims of gambling addiction are young people.
“We still have to form the policy on what we are going to do about online gambling. And to this end, I have already started to organize… to convene a conference of… all the stakeholders,” the President said.
“We have to talk to the people… If we regulate, who will be doing the regulation? The first effect of banning it fully is to… put it underground and then we have no control,” he added.
Some lawmakers have been calling for a total ban on online gambling, citing its harmful effects to vulnerable sectors like the youth. Various bills have been filed prohibiting all forms of online gambling, which some quarters have labeled as a “silent epidemic.”
Asked what makes online gambling different from Philippine offshore gaming operators, which were banned last year, Marcos noted that POGOs were accompanied by illegal activities like human trafficking and credit card scams.
“The children are getting addicted to gambling. Let’s focus on that. How do we stop that? These are the things that we are going to examine and we will come up with a plan to make sure that we address the problem,” the Chief Executive said.
“The problem is not online gambling. The problems are the social effects on our children and those who are addicted to gambling,” he added.