MOTHERHOOD STATEMENTS ON food security, healthcare, the upcoming healthy state of PhilHealth and US tariffs and the economy, floods and massive corruption and plunder for flood control projects through insertions and misdeclaration/repetition of completed projects in the 2025 budget. But there was a noticeable eerie silence on egambling.
Why? Because the biggest operators are the President’s brother-in-law and tycoon, Enrique Razon– one of the favored cronies of the administration– and many other old friends even during his father’s term.
Marcos’ skipping mention of egambling, which is now gathering steam from those fighting this emerging scourge and social epidemic, including with legislators, bigtime operators would rather operate unobtrusively until the heat cools down.
Because of the silence, gambling stocks surged in early trading today (after yesterday’s State of the Nation Address), Bilyonaryo noted.
Online gaming stocks soared on Tuesday after the SONA with Digiplus Interactive Corp (PLUS), the country’s largest e-gaming operator, led the rally with an 18 percent jump to P37.75 in early trading– making it the top gainer on the Philippine Stock Exchange, Bilyonaryo reported..
PhilWeb Corp. (WEB), owned by presidential brother-in-law Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III (hubby of sister, Irene), surged 10.4% to ₱3.70, while Bloomberry Resorts Corp. (BLOOM) of ultra bilyonaryo Ricky Razon added 2% to ₱4.65, the report added.
This just proves the saying: No news (good or bad) is good news.
Despite growing pressure from lawmakers, regulators, and the public, Marcos made no mention of whether his administration plans to ban or regulate online gaming—which expanded rapidly in recent years (just as e-sabong during the time of his predecessor) and now faces mounting scrutiny over its social costs.
The omission disappointed both sides of the debate. Operators, licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), had hoped for clarity and a path forward. Critics, meanwhile, were looking for a hardline stance against what they call a growing epidemic.
The President’s silence left both sides of the debate unsatisfied. PAGCOR-licensed operators had hoped for policy clarity to ensure business continuity. Critics, meanwhile, were looking for a definitive stance—especially after recent congressional hearings and high-profile reports of gambling-related harm.
Previously Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (the little president) said the palace is still looking into it to consider ramifications like taxing it and regulating it. He confirmed that Marcos had not yet reached a final decision.
The lack of guidance has left the multi billion-peso industry in regulatory limbo.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto earlier confessed the government can’t afford a total ban on egambling because of revenues to be lost which would worsen the budget deficit now at P1.6 trillion for 2025. So money is more important than preserving social and moral welfare.
PAGOR data showed that e-games and e-bingo have overtaken casinos as top revenue source, at ₱51.39 billion in the first quarter of 2025—nearly half of the total ₱104.12 billion earned by the entire gaming industry.
On July 17, 14 PAGCOR-licensed online gaming firms issued a joint statement opposing a proposed nationwide ban warning that prohibition would only drive consumers toward illegal and unregulated platforms. The statement instead sought tighter controls and enforcement.
Marcos’ omission of egambling in his SONA provided relief for operators and investors, who saw it as their quiet victory.
A prominent Manila-based fund manager told Bilyonaryo that silence was “the best possible outcome” for the embattled digital gaming sector.
“Wag na magsalita. Pag nagsalita, mahirap ng umatras,” the manager said, adding that any official stance—especially one hinting at prohibition—would be difficult to roll back. “Walang sinabi, may chance pang makabalik.”
“Uncertainty, ironically, works in the industry’s favor. Anything Marcos says publicly will likely be negative for the industry. There’s too much political heat. At least this way, there’s room to maneuver,” he said.
With the threat of total ban now avoided, industry players are shifting their focus to Congress, where upcoming hearings are expected to be the next battleground. Lawmakers remain divided, with some pushing for an outright ban and others calling for stricter regulations and higher taxation on digital gambling platforms.
Several lawmakers, including Senator Raffy Tulfo, have called for a total ban, citing its harmful effects on Filipino players.
However, Malacañang signaled a more cautious approach. “Decisions like this are carefully studied to determine their impact on the economy and the public,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
“Banning legal and licensed operators may lead to a rise in illegal sites, which could have an even greater negative effect.”
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#socialmalaise
#Congress