for early access to the latest igaming videos!
and get the latest igaming news first!
The Philippine Senate held a public hearing on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, to debate a package of proposals filed as the Anti-Online Gambling Act. The session was led by Sen. Erwin T. Tulfo, chair of the Senate committee on games and amusement, and it reopened a growing fight in Manila over whether online gambling should face tighter limits or an outright ban.
The committee agenda covered multiple Senate bills under the same banner, including SBN 30, 47, 142, 508, 686, 708, and 1304, as lawmakers weighed how far the government should go in cutting access, blocking platforms, and restricting promotion.
Senate reopens debate on banning online gambling
The hearing put the anti-online gambling push back in the spotlight, with lawmakers discussing how online gambling reaches users through apps, social media, and payment channels. The bills under review generally aim to curb the operation of online gambling services and reduce public exposure to betting content.
Tulfo has also raised concerns in recent public comments about the continued spread of illegal gambling promotions, even when authorities monitor licensed operators. That theme returned as the Senate looked at enforcement gaps and what tools agencies can realistically use.
Bill package includes SBN 1304 and other proposals
One of the featured measures, Senate Bill 1304, has been described in local reporting as a broad anti-online gambling proposal. The committee bundled it with several other bills, which signals lawmakers want to treat this as a package issue rather than a single proposal.
Some agenda references also include SBN 57, described in Senate materials as an online gambling regulatory proposal, which suggests the hearing also captured the divide between “ban it” and “regulate it” approaches.
Ads and enforcement sit at the heart of the issue
A major thread in the debate is not just the gambling activity itself, but how it gets marketed. Tulfo has previously pointed to the presence of illegal gambling ads across media channels and questioned why platforms and publishers still carry them.
That opens the door to several hard questions the Senate can push in hearings: who can order takedowns, how quickly platforms respond, what penalties apply, and how agencies track repeat operators who switch domains and brand names.
What lawmakers may push next
The hearing sets up a choice for the Senate. Lawmakers can move toward a strict prohibition model, or tighten controls around licensing, payments, advertising, and access. Either route will likely require coordination across regulators, law enforcement, and online platforms.
The next signal to watch is whether the committee consolidates the bills into a single substitute measure and schedules it for a vote, or whether the proposals split into competing tracks, ban proposals on one side, regulation proposals on the other.
Source: Inquire.net
