Filipino Online Casino Players Are Sticklers for Safety

As the Philippines is in the throes of a heated debate over whether to outlaw online casinos entirely, local consumers are increasingly concerned about the legitimacy of Internet websites they visit to play games of chance.

Filipinos Want to Play at Safe and Regulated Gambling Sites

A new survey that interviewed more than 1,000 Filipinos asked them whether they were mindful of the type of casinos they played at. More than half said that they were interested in playing at regulated and licensed websites, citing safety and legitimacy as their main priority.

The survey was conducted by The Fourth Wall with John Brylle L. Bae, Research Director, commenting on its results:

“There is an understanding among them that an outright ban won’t stop online gambling, but instead push it underground, increasing risks like scams and addiction through unregulated channels. This suggests their call for regulation is rooted in safer options and better consumer protection.”

For the majority of players in the country, playing at a regulated and safe online casino was a key determinant in choosing one brand over the next. The survey particularly sought to explore what the main motivators for most players who played out there were and how they contributed to their decision-making.

It similarly gauged the public opinion of the current regulatory framework, with 53% of respondents opposing a ban on regulated online gambling outright and 18% pronouncing themselves strongly in favor of it.

An overwhelming number of people acknowledged that a ban would not achieve the desired results – according to 75% of those interviewed, banning online gambling would only end up serving one specific purpose: drive players towards unregulated offshore markets that are not beholden to any authority and compromise player safety at every turn.

GCash Preferred Payment Method, 12% of Respondents Borrow to Gamble

The survey also went into analyzing the risk associated with gambling and specifically looked at Filipinos’ spending habits when it came to gambling. 36% of respondents said that they were “break-even” players who usually didn’t win or lose much and ended up where they started.

This group did not reach out to borrow funds to sustain their gambling habit. However, 12% of respondents described themselves as a riskier type of gamblers, with the players admitting that they have been borrowing funds to sustain their habit.