CIBAC Party-List Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva has renewed his call for a total and uncompromising ban on online gambling in the Philippines, amid mounting social harm and some proposals to just introduce additional tax to the industry.
This renewed call follows the statement of President Bongbong Marcos Jr., who said he is considering a total ban on online gambling but open to proposals to impose additional taxes.
“We thank the President for acknowledging the nationwide clamor. This is a defining moment to put people over profit. We reiterate our call for a total ban online gambling,” Villanueva said.
“Online gambling has become a silent epidemic in our nation. It’s no longer hidden in corners—it’s on our phones, public transport, and social media feeds. Every click is a potential ruin, especially for the poor and the youth,” Villanueva warned.
While PAGCOR reported that the online gambling sector contributed over ₱51.8 billion in revenues in the first quarter of 2025 alone, industry experts said that the industry is already heavily taxed.
“Industry experts already said that online gambling is already heavily taxed—but taxation does not cancel out destruction,” Villanueva stressed. “Calls for better regulation or even higher taxes miss the point. The product itself is inherently harmful, and the social costs far outweigh the revenues it generates. Let us not forget what happened in POGOs, E-Sabong, and the missing sabungeros.”
The damage is well documented—addiction, broken families, job losses, bankrupt entrepreneurs, and mental health crises. CIBAC cited cases like that of a self-made millionaire whose downfall through online gambling rippled across his company, employees, and family.
“We cannot allow the State to justify its role as a beneficiary of human misery. That is blood money,” Villanueva declared. “No amount of revenue can justify the widespread damage being done to our society.”
CIBAC instead calls for a strengthened Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to boost tax collection from legitimate value-creating sectors. BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. estimates up to ₱500 billion in annual revenue could be recovered from proper enforcement and modernization—almost ten times what online gambling generates per quarter, and without moral compromise.
CIBAC continues to push for the passage of House Bill No. 637, which seeks to implement a total ban on online gambling, both domestic and offshore.
“The time for half-measures is over. We do not need blood money to fund our nation. We need a revenue strategy built on justice, productivity, and righteousness—not on addiction and ruin,” Villanueva concluded. #