PAGCOR toughens ad controls, prohibits gambling signage
## New Gambling Advertisement Regulations in the Philippines: A Step Towards Protecting Vulnerable Sectors
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has announced a series of significant changes to the regulations governing gambling advertisements in public spaces. These updates aim to protect vulnerable individuals, particularly minors, and reduce the risk of gambling-related harm.
### Timeline and Compliance Deadline
PAGCOR has set a deadline of August 15, 2025, for all licensed operators to remove gambling-related advertisements from public spaces such as billboards, trains, buses, jeepneys, and taxis. Before this date, all gambling advertisements across various media platforms (TV, radio, digital) must be pre-approved by the Ad Standards Council (ASC) before release.
### Impact of the New Regulations
The new regulations require mandatory pre-screening of gambling ads to prevent misleading content and protect vulnerable audiences. This aligns gambling with other sensitive sectors like alcohol and over-the-counter medicines. The removal of out-of-home gambling ads is intended to reduce the visibility of gambling promotions in everyday environments, which is seen as critical in preventing gambling addiction.
### Policy Support and Broader Context
The move is supported by policymakers like Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who seeks to ban e-gambling, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who advocates for stricter regulations to prevent underage gambling and promote responsible gaming practices. The regulations come amid broader discussions about the regulation of online gambling in the Philippines, with some lawmakers pushing for a ban while others advocate for tighter regulations to prevent driving the industry underground.
Offshore gambling firms are responsible for approximately 50% of the iGaming market in the Philippines, according to PAGCOR's chair and CEO, Alejandro Tengco. All licensees, operators of gambling venues, system administrators, and gaming suppliers have been notified to remove all gambling ads and promotions displayed in public spaces.
Illegal gambling isn't limited to the Philippines; it is also widespread in Eastern Asia and other regions where criminal syndicates launder money or accumulate millions from illegal gambling. PAGCOR would have to approve any type of gambling advertisement or responsible gambling campaign. PAGCOR is mandated to regulate the gaming industry and generate revenues for nation-building, but does not want to encourage a culture of gambling addiction, as stated by Tengco.
It is unclear how the removal of gambling billboards and marketing materials will impact the sector and the share of the black market. The takedown of gambling advertisements affects not only billboards but also any type of ad promoted via taxis, buses, trains, and public utility vehicles (jeepneys).
The latest announcement comes at a time when illegal online gambling continues to expand in the Philippines. The new regulations seek to protect young adults and vulnerable individuals from excessive gambling and harm.
- The new regulations in the Philippines' gambling advertisement sector aim to protect vulnerable individuals, particularly minors, and reduce gambling-related harm, as announced by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
- All licensed operators in the gaming industry are required to remove gambling-related advertisements from public spaces by August 15, 2025, including billboards, buses, taxis, and digital platforms.
- PAGCOR's policy aligns gambling with other sensitive sectors by mandating pre-screening of gambling ads to prevent misleading content and protect vulnerable audiences, similar to the enforcement for alcohol and over-the-counter medicines.
- In an effort to reduce the visibility of gambling promotions, the new regulations intend to reduce the prevalence of casino-games and casino-and-gambling advertisements in everyday environments, which is seen as critical in preventing gambling addiction.
- To promote responsible gambling practices, policymakers like Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian support the new regulations, which come amid broader discussions about the regulation of online gambling in the Philippines, with some advocating for tighter regulations to prevent driving the industry underground.
