Gambling sites go underground on chats, e-commerce platforms

National

FROM encrypted chats to online checkouts, gambling operators are slipping into new spaces after regulators cut their ties with e-wallets, Sen. Erwin Tulfo warned.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate committee on games and amusement, said gambling platforms are “doubling efforts” to stay accessible despite a recent order from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The BSP had given e-wallet providers 48 hours from Aug. 14 to delink gambling services from their apps, a directive that firms such as GCash and Maya complied with.

Tulfo pointed to BingoPlus as an example, noting that the company quickly shifted its operations to alternative platforms. The gaming firm announced to patrons that games could still be accessed through its own app, website, and even Viber, while deposits and withdrawals remained available via e-wallets.

Tulfo also flagged the sale of BingoPlus vouchers on e-commerce sites like Lazada, where they are marketed as ordinary items and purchased using cards or e-wallets, before being converted into gaming credits.

Despite these workarounds, Tulfo welcomed the cooperation of payment firms with regulators.

“We laud the move of the e-wallet firms to delink these online gambling sites from their platforms. This is a sign that the business sector is willing to work with the government in addressing the problem of online gambling addiction in our country,” he said in a Philstar report.

He added that government and industry must work together to prevent future harm. “We are not enemies here. We are allies that should work hand in hand to ensure that the next generation of Filipinos are not gambling addicts.”

Deliberations on online gambling measures are ongoing at the Senate’s games and amusement panel, with a majority of lawmakers making clear they oppose the activity, legal or otherwise.(MyTVCebu)