Catholic Church in the Philippines Wants Online Gambling Banned

The Catholic Church of the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has become the latest critic of online gambling in the country, calling for its complete ban at a time when the government has been asked to consider a blanket prohibition on the activity.

The Church Weighs in on Gambling Debate in the Philippines

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has voiced the church’s concerns over the activity and its proliferation, as well as the presumable societal harm it causes. However, not everyone agrees. PAGCOR, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, and its chair, Alejandro Tengco, have responded to calls to ban online gambling.

Tengco has particularly pushed back against CBCP’s stance and calls for a complete and total ban. He specifically pointed out that the sector was an enormous contributor to the state’s coffers and generated jobs, innovation, and tax revenue.

However, the cardinal has dismissed this argument, saying that just because a monetary gain is present, this doesn’t mean the government should go ahead and condone as well as legalize “other addictions.”

For the church, the drawbacks of legal gambling far outstripped any perceived gain therein. Cardinal David further lambasted the sector as a form of “modern-day slavery,” referring to the fact that many unlicensed operators kidnapped people and forced them to work for a pittance.

In the meantime, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been privately debating whether he should go ahead and indeed outlaw gambling in the country. At the same time, tech giants, including Meta, have been fighting off unlicensed gambling advertising.

Recently, Meta shuttered the accounts of influencers that promoted illegal gambling in the country.

Moderate Voices Call for Pragmatism in the Matter

Lawmaker Joseph Bernos has criticized the decision to move forward with a complete ban of any sort, cautioning against such extreme measures and warning about their unintended consequences.

Rep. Bernos believes that it’s far better for the government to strengthen regulatory oversight and scrutiny rather than pulling the plug on the industry. The lawmaker believes that by killing the regulated gambling market, the black market would simply thrive in its stead.

The catholic church seems to disagree, arguing that the only way forward is through complete prohibition.