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Read Full BioAuthorities in the Philippines have ordered advertisers nationwide to take down public gambling billboards and other related ads by the middle of next month.
The Philippine News Agency reported that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has told gambling licensees, suppliers, and venue operators they must dismantle or remove advertising materials from public spaces by August 15.
The ban will apply to all billboards and out-of-home (OOH) gambling advertisements on public streets. It will also apply to ads displayed on public transport vehicles, such as trains, buses, jeepneys, and taxis, PAGCOR said.
Gambling Billboards Must Go, Says PAGCOR
The PAGCOR move is not a blanket ban. The regulator said that it will issue permits to institutional and responsible gaming campaigns in the future.
But advertisers and gambling firms have also been ordered to send PAGCOR an inventory of their existing billboard and wallscape advertisements by July 16.
These inventory lists must include details about the size, material, location, rental contract expiry dates, and Ad Standards Council permit numbers of all existing ads.
PAGCOR said it would punish non-compliant firms. It also threatened action against gambling firms who replace dismantled advertising boards with new gambling-related materials.
The regulator’s Chairman and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, said: “While PAGCOR is mandated to regulate the gaming industry and generate revenues for nation-building, we do not want to encourage a culture of gambling addiction. Regulating excessive and pervasive gambling advertisements is a critical step in protecting vulnerable sectors of society, especially the youth.”
The move comes just days after the gaming regulator said it would welcome lawmakers’ efforts to impose stricter regulations.
Senators Want Wider Bans
PAGCOR was responding to a draft law sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. The bill proposes banning the use of digital wallets on online gambling platforms.
The offices of the President announced this month that the Department of Information and Communications Technology has blocked access to 7,000 unauthorized online gaming sites.
It said the sites were all identified by PAGCOR. The President’s office said the government would do what it could to stamp out unlicensed online gaming platforms.
A spokesperson urged members of the public to refrain from promoting illegal websites through word of mouth or on social media pages.
A separate draft bill, authored by the former Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, seeks to go a step further. The Zubiri bill proposes banning all forms of online gambling activity in the Philippines.
Zubiri’s bill proposes outlawing “digital betting platforms, mobile applications, and websites that allow users to place wagers through phones, tablet PCs, and computers.”
