“Let’s make it harder to gamble, not easier.”
This was the call made by the chair of the House Committee on Government Reorganization and Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Jonathan Keith “Atty. John” Flores.
“Online gambling preys on ordinary Filipinos, especially the poor. Sa ilang pindot lang, ubos ang kakarampot na sweldo na para sana sa bigas, kuryente, o matrikula. Tahimik pero malupit itong sumisira ng pamilya at kinabukasan ng Kabataan,” Flores said.
“E-wallets should not serve as easy gateways to gambling apps. Their platforms are being used, whether they admit it or not, as channels of addiction,” the legislator noted.
“E-wallets should not serve as easy gateways to gambling apps.”
Many digital payment systems now allow seamless top-ups and even carry built-in links to online casinos and betting platforms. That setup, according to the lawmaker, turns gambling into a dangerously convenient habit, especially for those who can least afford it.
He said part of what spurred him into action was seeing firsthand the rising number of young people and struggling breadwinners in his district who had fallen into gambling addiction because of easy access through mobile apps.
Flores also cited the overwhelming response of Filipinos to a recent Facebook post by content creator Kulas (Becoming Filipino), who openly shared his concerns about how widespread and normalized mobile gambling has become in the country.
“The way people reacted to Kulas’ post showed that this issue is hitting too close to home for too many Filipino families,” he noted.
Flores is now drafting a measure that will disconnect e-wallets and fintech platforms from gambling sites, block payment processing for online betting, and impose stricter safeguards on digital financial services that have quietly enabled this growing problem.
He is also a member of the House Committee on Games and Amusements.
“This is not yet a blanket ban, but that’s the direction we may be forced to take if we continue to see the future of our children and families torn apart.”
“This is not yet a blanket ban, but that’s the direction we may be forced to take if we continue to see the future of our children and families torn apart,” Flores warned. “Payment platforms must not be complicit. Their convenience should never come at the cost of Filipino lives.”
He also urged regulators such as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine the operations of e-wallet companies that allow or promote online gambling on their apps.
“There must be accountability. Technology must not make it easier for vice to thrive,” Flores concluded.
