Statement of Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on the Dangerous Normalization of Online Gambling

Statement of Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on the Dangerous Normalization of Online Gambling

Online gambling is no longer creeping into our communities—it's dominating them.

Across our skylines, massive billboards glorify gambling apps with flashy promises of cashback, bonuses, and easy money. On social media, algorithm-driven ads flood our feeds. Influencers and celebrities endorse these platforms with smiles and hashtags, turning games of chance into aspirational lifestyle content.

Let's call it what it is:

Glamorized addiction. Monetized desperation. Normalized exploitation.

At a time when millions of Filipinos are struggling to put food on the table—when poverty and inflation leave families grasping for relief—this kind of aggressive, unchecked promotion is not just irresponsible. It is dangerous.

Many of these platforms operate in regulatory gray areas, with little to no transparency. And yet, they are marketed loudly and relentlessly—especially to the poor, the desperate, and the young—under the guise of fun and fortune.

POGOs may be gone—but now we have this.

A new wave of gambling. More insidious. More accessible. More aggressively sold.

And once again, it is the vulnerable who will pay the price.

I call on:

• Government regulators to investigate these platforms and crack down on those operating without full compliance and transparency.

• Digital platforms to take responsibility for hosting and amplifying gambling content that targets vulnerable communities.

• Celebrities and influencers to think twice before lending their image to something that may harm the very people who admire them.

• Congress to hold urgent hearings and push for stronger regulation of online gambling and its unchecked promotion across all media.

This is no longer just about advertising.

This is about the kind of country we are allowing ourselves to become.

One that protects—or one that preys? We must choose wisely.

And we must act now.

I sincerely hope this growing crisis will be acknowledged and addressed by the President in his State of the Nation Address today.

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