PAGCOR Orders Removal of Online Gambling Billboards

PAGCOR orders removal of gambling billboards by August to curb addiction risks.

Published on Jul 11, 2025

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has ordered online gaming platforms to remove their billboards and other gambling-related out-of-home (OOH) advertisements immediately, which could bring relief to families concerned about the growing influence of online gambling in Filipino homes.

Also read: Sugarol Ba Siya? How to Help a Compulsive Gambler

This is PAGCOR’s first major move to address concerns from the public and some lawmakers that e-gambling fuels addiction and financial ruin, especially among the poor. For families already struggling to make ends meet, seeing these ads daily could normalize gambling as a quick way to earn money.

In a memorandum issued on July 7, PAGCOR directed all licensees, suppliers, system administrators, and gaming venue operators to take down gambling ad materials by August 15, including those displayed on trains, buses, jeepneys, and taxis.

PAGCOR emphasized that only institutional or responsible gaming campaigns approved by the agency will be allowed moving forward.

A representative from PAGCOR said the agency is preparing to implement a set of guidelines for posting OOH advertisements. The rules will be enforced with the help of the Ad Standards Council (ASC), which screens ad content across media platforms.

The guidelines will reportedly ban out-of-home ads near churches, schools, and hospitals, which are central to many Filipino families’ daily routines. Gambling-related TV ads will also be prohibited during prime time, when parents and children usually watch shows together.

PAGCOR issued its memo a day after the Fintech Alliance Philippines, the country’s largest group of digital payment and e-wallet operators, said its members would tighten internal controls to limit easy access to online gambling. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also said it plans to release new guidelines soon.

Push for Total Online Gambling Ban

On another note, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is pushing for a total ban on all forms of online gambling, even those authorized by PAGCOR, as he highlighted the problems caused by what he called a “silent epidemic.”

In line with this, Zubiri filed his Senate Bill 142 or Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 which “prohibits all forms of online gambling in the country.”

“Maglalagay po tayo ng blanket ban sa lahat ng uri ng online gambling,” he said in a press conference.

“Hindi na po ito basta regulation, total ban na po ito para tuluyan na nating matigil ang online gambling na umuubos ng pera ng ating mga kababayan mula sa iba’t ibang sektor. And similar to how we banned e-sabong [and] POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), ito ay magandang hakbang para matanggal na po itong adiksyon sa ating mga kababayan.”

“Hindi lang oras ang nauubos dito kundi life savings ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya dapat na po natin ipagbawal ito kahit ang mga authorized online games ng PAGCOR,” he added.

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Zubiri also cited the case of a 16-year-old in Bukidnon who reportedly died by suicide after feeling guilty about losing P100 of his parents’ savings to online gambling.

“The taxes earned are not worth the social cost. Nasisira na po ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan. Nag-aaway-away na po ang ating mga pamilya. Tumataas ang kaso ng krimen. Nababaon na sa gabundok na utang ang manggagawang Pilipino, which then severely affects their mental health,” Zubiri stated.

He appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the country’s online gambling problem and include it in his next State of the Nation Address.

Click here to learn more about internet gaming addiction.

Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.