Not recognised as a public health issue

Gambling addiction is not yet officially recognised as a public health issue in the Philippines. 

Now experts point to a growing crisis, as online gambling addiction has emerged as a “mental health crisis”.

Dr. Paolo Woodruff Gonzales, psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Southern Philippine Medical Center (IPBM-SPMC) and director for Mindanao of the Philippine Psychiatrists Association, says the impact is severe.

He recently treated a patient with ₱200,000 in gambling debts who had developed suicidal thoughts.

Easy access to betting platforms and loan sharks worsens the situation.

Mark, a 38-year-old finance executive, spiraled into addiction during the 2020 pandemic, losing over ₱20 million through loans from banks, credit cards, and loan sharks. 

He wagered up to ₱200,000 daily on online casinos, straining his marriage and leaving him with ₱5 million in debts. 

Similarly, a young man in Bukidnon driven by debts from playing “scatter” games, tragically took his own life, leaving his family in grief.

During a Senate inquiry, the mother told lawmakers how e-gambling addiction led to the death of her 26-year-old son, who killed himself by hanging.

These stories underscore the personal wreckage left by an industry that preys on vulnerability.

Central bank tightens rules as depression spikes

The incidence of depression is also increasing in the country. The current correlational analysis evaluated the association between online game addiction and depression in Filipino adolescents.

Since August, online gaming transactions in the Philippines have taken a nosedive — down by as much as 50% — thanks to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordering e-wallet companies to cut all links to online gambling sites, according to Pagcor.

But don’t celebrate just yet.

Pagcor Chair Alejandro Tengco shared that a twist in this tale is the rise of users flocking to “illegal” gaming sites, operating under the radar.

BSP released an order August 14, signed by Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan, demanding e-wallets, banks, and other financial services to ditch all in-app gambling features.

Tengco told Rep. Chel Diokno in a House hearing, “It’s really hard to go after them,” referring to these illegal operators.

Because about 60% of online gaming “happens” on foreign soil — in countries like Russia and Cambodia — where Philippine authorities struggle to reach.