Philippines regulators scroll past online gambling ads on social media

RONALD Gustilo, executive director of non-profit organisation Digital Pinoys, believes social media plays a role in today’s online gambling issue. He said it’s “one of the factors that has not been cited as a major problem” when “it should be”.

While the government has temporarily suspended access to online gambling platforms via e-wallets and super apps, ads promoting these sites remain visible on social media. They appear on Meta, Google ads, YouTube, Rakuten Viber, and X, Tech in Asia staff from the Philippines have observed in the past two weeks.

It’s a glaring oversight, especially when two out of 10 Filipino bettors say they learned about online gambling platforms on social media. That’s based on a survey by Manila-based consulting firm The Fourth Wall, which asked 1,250 Filipino online gamblers about the factors influencing their betting habits.