Senate Hearing Spotlights Real Threat: Illegal Gaming Platforms
Senate Hearing Spotlights Real Threat: Illegal Gaming Platforms
Illegal Platforms, Real Harm
The recent Senate hearing on online gaming didn’t just stir debate—it clarified the core issue. The real threat to Filipino consumers isn’t regulated gaming. It’s the proliferation of illegal, unlicensed platforms operating outside the law. Senate Hearing Spotlights Real Threat.
These rogue sites are where underage access, unchecked betting, and financial distress originate. They’re not bound by Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, age verification, or responsible gaming safeguards. They don’t answer to audits or face sanctions.
In contrast, PAGCOR-licensed operators are held to strict standards. They operate under regulatory oversight, with mechanisms in place to protect players and ensure fair play. The Senate hearing drew a clear line: where regulation exists, protection exists. Where it doesn’t, chaos thrives.
Regulation Isn’t the Problem—It’s the Solution
The PlaySafe Alliance of the Philippines applauds the Senate’s clarity and shares the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ commitment to consumer protection and financial integrity.
But here’s the rub: cutting off licensed operators from online payment platforms won’t stop gambling. It’ll just drive players underground.
Without traceable, supervised payment rails, users are pushed into the shadows of the internet—where transactions are harder to monitor, taxes vanish, and harm becomes invisible.
If the goal is to protect consumers, the answer isn’t to shrink the regulated space. It’s to expand it, reinforce it, and make it the only viable option.
Keep It Legal, Keep It Safe
The gaming industry isn’t asking for a free pass. It’s asking for a fair one.
Licensed operators want to be held accountable. They want to operate transparently. They want to be part of a system that protects players, supports responsible gaming, and contributes to national revenue.
The real danger lies in ignoring the difference between legal and illegal. If we blur that line, we lose the ability to protect the very people we’re trying to help.
