E-wallets given 48 hours to delete online gambling links

National

UNLINK now or face consequences.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered e-wallet platforms to remove all in-app links to online gambling sites within 48 hours, a move senators say may be too slow to curb a growing national crisis.

The directive, issued Thursday morning, August 14, to BSP-supervised financial institutions, allows users time to withdraw funds before access is cut off.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan confirmed the order during a Senate hearing on illegal online gambling.

“We provided 48 hours to give time to BSFIs to take down those in-app links or icons to online gambling sites. The other reason is to give consumers time to withdraw their funds from the online gaming accounts,” Tangonan said as quoted in a Philstar report.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the timing, suggesting the order coincided with the Senate inquiry.

“You circulated a proposal to e-wallets and you waited for their reply, and you only gave the order today? Is it because we have a hearing today?” he asked, criticizing the BSP for lacking political will. He also warned the 48-hour window could be enough for gambling addiction to deepen.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate games and amusements committee, said he would cite Tangonan in contempt if gambling links remained after the deadline.

“The committee is serious —we have a problem, we have a crisis,” he said, stressing that all links should be removed from e-wallets by Sunday morning.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged stronger measures even against legal operators, noting they account for roughly 40 percent of gambling activity.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian called for a total delinking of banks and e-wallets from gambling platforms. “It is simple: let us not allow banks and e-wallets to be linked to online gambling, whether illegal or legal. Our request is to completely delink,” he said, highlighting that current platforms accept payments via both digital wallets and bank accounts.

PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco explained that licensed operators may use BSP-approved payment methods. Tangonan said the central bank can act immediately against illegal operators but must review restrictions on licensed ones. He referenced the 2022 e-sabong payment block as an example of swift action, adding that similar measures may be studied for other online gambling forms.

Tulfo said digital wallet companies will be summoned to the next hearing to clarify their role in enabling gambling, and warned lawmakers are leaning toward a total ban, citing social harms as outweighing revenue.

E-wallet operators GCash and Maya have committed to comply.

Maya said, “We remain focused on serving our customers while fully complying with regulatory requirements,” while GCash added, “Once we receive the official directive, we will immediately enforce the necessary changes to ensure compliance and safeguard our users.”

Data presented in the hearing showed that from January to May 2025, there were 32.117 million electronic gaming players, nearly one-third of the population, up 291 percent from 8.2 million in 2024. Numbers grew steadily since the pandemic, from 482,000 in 2020 to 2.445 million in 2023.(MyTVCebu)