Legarda seeks to ban online gambling

Senator Loren Legarda filed a bill seeking to comprehensively ban all forms of online gambling and their promotion in the Philippines.

Legarda explained that the unprecedented move from licensed casinos to smartphones has exposed the most vulnerable sectors of society to addiction, exploitation, and financial harm.

“Anybody with access to the internet could easily log on to online betting platforms, and has blurred the lines between regulation and unregulated gaming,” said Legarda.

“It has exposed the most vulnerable, such as minors, students, and low-income individuals, burying themselves in financially ruinous behavior that negatively affects them and their families,” she added.

The proposed law seeks to ban any form of online gambling, such as online casinos, e-sabong, digital lotteries, virtual slots, and sports betting.

Publishing, advertising, endorsing, and promoting gambling-related content online shall also be barred.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will be tasked to coordinate with each other on issuing takedown or blocking orders for gambling sites and other related content.

Moreover, internet service providers must comply within 48 hours of blocking, monitoring, and reporting these gambling platforms, on the penalty of fines or license revocation.

Individual offenders found guilty will be penalized with imprisonment ranging from six months to a year, or a fine of P300,000 to P500,000.

Companies, on the other hand, shall be fined ranging from P500,000 to P1,000,000, and up to three years of imprisonment for responsible officers.

“There have been no checks and balances, allowing minors and others to bypass age restrictions, exposing them to not only financial but psychological and socioeconomic risks as well,” lamented Legarda.

“Uncontrolled gambling by many has caused irreparable damage to their families, leading to domestic violence, gambling-linked crimes, and perhaps even murder and suicide,” she continued.

“We ought to end the glorification of online gambling, for many have lost control and have not recovered from addiction, including many children.” (30)

Legarda, nais ipagbawal ang online gambling

Naghain ng panukalang batas si Senador Loren Legarda upang wakasan na ang lahat ng uri ng online gambling sa Pilipinas.

Nagdulot ang pag-usbong ng online gambling ng malaking problema sa lipunan tulad ng pagka-adik, pang-aabuso, at pagkalugi, paliwanag ng senadora.

“Lahat ng may access sa internet ay maari nang pumasok sa online betting platforms at nawalan na ng kontrol ang marami,” ayon kay Legarda.

“Nababahala ako dahil marami ang nabaon sa negatibong kaugalian tulad ng mga menor de edad, mga estudyante, at mga empleyadong maliit ang suweldo, na nakaaapekto sa kanila at kanilang mga pamilya,” dagdag niya.

Ipagbabawal ng panukalang batas ang lahat ng uri ng online gambling tulad ng online casino, e-sabong, digital lotteries, virtual slots, at sports betting.

Bawal na rin ang pag-endorse at pag-advertise ng gambling-related content online.

Magsasanib-puwersa naman ang Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), at ang National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) upang mag-isyu ng takedown o blocking order para sa gambling sites.

Kailangan ding i-block ng mga internet service provider ang mga gambling platform na ito sa loob ng 48 oras pagkakuha ng utos. Ang hindi susunod ay pagmumultahin o babawiin ang lisensiya.

Ang mapatutunayang may sala ay pagmumultahin ng P300,000 hanggang P500,000, o ikukulong mula anim na buwan hanggang isang taon.

Ang mga kumpanya naman ay papatawan ng multa mula P500,000 hanggang P1,000,000, at hanggang tatlong taong pagkakabilanggo sa mga may salang opisyal.

“Hindi na nakokontrol ang pagsusugal, kaya naman nakapasok na ang mga menor de edad, at nalalagay sa panganib sa aspektong pinansyal, sikolohokal, at socioeconomic,” pahayag ni Legarda.

“Nagdulot din ng pagkasira ng pamilya ang pagkahumaling sa sugal, domestic violence, mga krimen ukol sa pagsusugal, at pati na ang pagpatay,” dagdag pa niya.

“Kailangan nating wasakan ang pagkahumaling ng marami sa online gambling, dahil marami ang nasiraan na ng bait, pati na ang kabataan.” (30)