Manila: Senators have called on e-wallet service providers and regulators to close loopholes that allow access to online gambling, warning that partial restrictions continue to enable Filipinos to place bets easily. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, in a radio interview Friday, expressed concerns that while some 'in-app' links enabling direct play through e-wallet applications like GCash have been removed, users can still link their accounts to gambling sites and bank savings accounts.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian noted that the implementation of restrictions appears gradual, possibly due to the extensive subscriber base of e-wallet platforms, which he estimated to include about 90 million accounts, factoring in multiple registrations by some users. He also revealed that some illegal gambling sites still maintain payment links to e-wallet services.

Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, stated during a joint Senate hearing Thursday that while he supports a total ban on online gambling, the government must pursue effective regulations to mitigate its reach and social costs. Cayetano urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to consider tighter restrictions, including prohibiting e-wallet use for gambling, drawing parallels between safeguards in physical casinos and the largely unregulated payment systems in online betting.

Cayetano questioned whether the BSP had decided to prohibit e-wallet use for gambling, emphasizing that while e-wallets are not responsible for money laundering, they can be penalized for becoming conduits. He requested the BSP to provide data on e-wallet earnings from regular transactions versus online gaming.

The senator also recounted personal sacrifices due to his anti-gambling stance, including losing the speakership of the House of Representatives in 2020 for not advancing a franchise bill for e-sabong operators. Despite threats, Cayetano remains committed to his 25-year record of pushing anti-gambling measures, including the Anti-Gambling Act filed in 2000.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan confirmed Thursday that the BSP has instructed e-wallet operators to remove in-app links to gambling sites within 48 hours and is finalizing rules to prohibit such payments, including those made via credit cards.