Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano renewed his call Monday for a total ban on online gambling, saying its accessibility through mobile phones makes the activity increasingly difficult to regulate and exposes users to addiction and financial losses.
Cayetano made the statement during his interpellation on Senate Bill No. 2424 under Committee Report No. 81, or the Child Safety and Protection Act, on Sept. 7.
“I just want to manifest my personal stand, which is lahat ng online gaming i-ban totally because it’s habit-forming, it’s addictive, and it preys mostly on the poor,” Cayetano said.
He said smartphones allow people to gamble almost anywhere, including while they are working, putting their earnings at immediate risk.
“You could be a taxi driver at sa cellphone mo, whether while driving or sometimes nakaparada ka lang, at kumita ka ng isang libo noong araw na iyon, pero matatalo ka ng isang libo in 15 minutes. That’s the reality,” he said.
Cayetano also called for tighter restrictions on advertisements promoting online gambling, arguing that the right to free speech may have limits when advertising involves activities that can lead to addiction.
“I fully support free speech. But there may limits din ang free speech, especially when it comes to advertising something na may addiction,” he said.
He said regulating online gambling has become more difficult as digital technology makes betting readily accessible through smartphones.
“In the information age, in the digital age, in a generation that is entering this world where everything is at your fingertips because of your cell phone, napakahirap mag-regulate,” he said.
“But if we don’t try, we already failed,” he added.
Cayetano has pursued legislation against gambling in previous Congresses. In the 19th Congress, he pushed the Anti-Online Gambling Act.
In the 20th Congress, he filed Senate Bill No. 30, or the proposed Ban on Online Gambling Act, with Senator Pia Cayetano. He also filed Senate Bill No. 109, which seeks to prohibit online gambling advertisements across media platforms.
Despite the regulatory challenges, Cayetano said the government should consider stronger measures to protect the public from activities he considers harmful.
“When it comes to certain things that are totally unhealthy, like vape and online gaming, may we find the courage to totally ban it in our country,” he said.
Comments