Bishops in the Philippines issue statement demanding online gambling ban

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has shared a statement appealing to the government to ban all forms of online gambling.

They’ve described this as being a “moral and social crisis” and have expressed deep concern. This comes as the gambling revenue in the Philippines was projected to reach a record of more than 350 billion pesos ($6.03 billion) last year.

The forecast surpassed the 334 target set by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) and is said to have been driven by growth in the electronic gaming sector.

“It is clear that online gambling is no longer just a simple pastime. This is a deep and pervasive moral problem, hidden in the guise of entertainment and technology,” the translated statement reads, with the original being in Filipino.

“Internet gambling is not innocent. It is intentionally designed to be attractive, especially to young people and ordinary citizens.”

According to the Catholic Herald, the statement was approved by bishops during their 130th plenary assembly in Bohol.

Just last month, on June 18, PAGCOR announced it would be cracking down on illegal online games as it launched its ‘PAGCOR Guarantee.’ This is a website where the public are able to check the legitimacy of gaming providers.

The aim is to provide a transparent and reliable reference for players ‘amid the proliferation of fraudulent online gaming sites.’

The platform is now live and will be updated regularly to include a list of licensed internet gaming platforms under PAGCOR’s oversight. The gaming sites can then be entered directly through the new website.

“This new website will help our players easily identify and verify whether the online gaming sites are duly licensed before playing or making any payments,” said PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco.

“By providing the public with a quick and accessible way to check a site’s legitimacy, we are empowering them to make informed decisions and avoid falling victim to fraudsters and scammers,” Mr. Tengco said.

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