Online gambling regulatory and prohibition bills were filed at the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives on June 30, 2025, according to DigiPlus Interactive Corp., the operator of BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone1. The company said in a letter to the Philippine Stock Exchange that the filings triggered recent share price shocks, and that the bills remain "in the early stages of the legislative process and [have] not been enacted into law"1.
DigiPlus, led by billionaire Eusebio Tanco, lost 23.87 percent on Friday July 4 to close at P29.50, the steepest fall of the week's session1. The stock has lost 39 percent of its value since June 30, wiping out about P59 billion in market capitalization over four days, and has pulled back 55 percent from its 52-week high of P65.30 on June 111. The company said it remained "fully operational and committed to delivering value" and was "confident in the long-term growth potential of the company"1.
The bill filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian proposes a stricter know-your-customer rule, regulation of advertising, a minimum top-up threshold of P10,000 to discourage poor households from spending on gaming, and measures to prevent e-wallets such as GCash and Maya from acting as online payment platforms for online betting1. Separately, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Thursday it plans to issue a circular implementing safeguards against risks associated with online gaming, which Astro del Castillo of First Grade Finance said contributed to the DigiPlus decline1.
DigiPlus reported P12.58 billion in net income in 2024, up from P4.08 billion in 2023, and P4.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025 versus P1.99 billion a year earlier, making it a major revenue source for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)1. Pagcor said it would follow "any and all relevant regulations once they are passed by Congress and signed into law by the President"1.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Filing date | June 30, 2025, Senate and House of Representatives1 |
| DigiPlus one-day fall | 23.87 percent to P29.501 |
| Fall since June 30 | 39 percent1 |
| Market capitalization wiped out | About P59 billion1 |
| Minimum top-up proposed | P10,0001 |
What it means for players
The bills have not been enacted, so the rules they propose are not in force. If passed as filed, the Gatchalian bill would set a P10,000 minimum top-up for online betting, tighten identity checks, restrict advertising, and block e-wallets such as GCash and Maya from being used to fund online betting1. The BSP circular on e-wallet access to online gaming has also not been issued. Until any of these take effect, the practical position for locals, expats and visitors using licensed Philippine operators is unchanged. Details of how a top-up threshold or payment block would be applied have not been reported.
What happens next
The bills are in the early stages of the legislative process and would need to pass Congress and be signed by the President before becoming law1. Pagcor said it would follow any relevant regulations once that happens1. The BSP has said it plans to issue a circular on safeguards against online gaming risks, but no date has been reported1.
For background on the market, see Can I Gamble in the Philippines? and Can I Play at Online Casinos in the Philippines?. The wider legal picture is covered in Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Is Online Gambling Legal in Asia? The 12 Jurisdictions Compared, with regional enforcement in Crackdowns on Offshore Online Gambling Hubs in Asia. Payment methods are covered in Paying and Cashing Out at Philippine Gambling Sites.
Sources1 sources
- Bills on gaming curbs take toll on major industry player, business.inquirer.net
