Just over half of respondents to a survey about online gambling in the Philippines opposed the idea of a ban on regulated providers, says the report issuer The Fourth Wall, a research firm.
A Wednesday report issued by the company said the study – described as “recent” – surveyed a total of 1,250 current online gambling players “from urbanised areas across Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, and key cities in other growth centres nationwide”.
The issuer clarified to GGRAsia – in response to our enquiry – the study was “independently conducted by sociocultural research firm The Fourth Wall”.
The regulated online industry has said 50,000 jobs could be at risk in the event of an outright ban, as proposed by some lawmakers.
The Fourth Wall said in a press release that, of those surveyed, the majority reported having “migrated from informal or unregulated street gambling environments, such as sabong, perya, or social media betting, and only 7 percent from land-based casinos”.
‘Sabong’ is cockfighting – now outlawed entirely in the Philippines – while ‘perya’ refers to a range of stall games commonly found during festival periods in that country.
According to The Fourth Wall, 53 percent of respondents oppose a ban on regulated online gambling, while only 18 percent support one. A further 16 percent agree with a ban “but with reservations”.
The study authors stated that for 75 percent of online gambling players responding, “a ban will not stop online gambling and would instead drive people toward illegal sites, social media betting, and unregulated foreign platforms”.
The consultancy added: ‘Instead, a majority (80 percent) support banning unregulated online gambling platforms mainly to avoid scams and curb addiction, especially among youth and low-income groups.”
The study categorised the respondents based on “different levels of risk, self-perception, and gambling behaviour”.
It found that 36 percent of respondents characterised themselves as “break-even optimists”.
A further 12 percent self-reported as “risky borrowing high-frequency bettors”, which the authors said was “placing them at risk of financial strain”. Though the report added: “Most of those surveyed (85 percent) do not borrow money for betting.”
Around 61 percent of respondents said they play only up to three times a week – more frequent play was seen mostly among higher-income respondents, according to the survey. Most players (89 percent) reported spending no more than PHP5,000 (US$88) monthly, roughly 10 percent of their income.
Pagcor’s regulatory role
Circa 73 percent of those surveyed said industry oversight from institutions such as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the country’s gaming regulator, was either “important” or “very important”.
The survey summary added that “61 percent believe Pagcor is doing its job, but a significant 34 percent remain unsure, citing limited understanding of the agency’s full responsibilities”.
The Fourth Wall stated: “This finding points to a need not only for regulation, but for clearer public education and transparent communication from regulators.”
The study also tackled the role of e-wallets, a channel that came in for some lawmaker criticism recently in terms of ease and availability of online gambling channels.
The study authors said that, based on responses, “e-wallets play a key role in responsible gambling”.
The majority of players (92 percent) prefer using an app called GCash, followed by Maya (6 percent), while only 2 percent used “over-the-counter payment outlets”.
The survey found that “approximately 73 percent of e-wallet users trust the platforms’ age and identity checks, and 64 percent believe these platforms effectively help them regulate their spending, enabling them to play responsibly”.
The study observed that online gambling adoption surged from 2022 to 2024, with the “strong influence of [Covid-19-related] lockdowns, digital migration, and possibly increased advertising and social influence as factors”.
John Brylle Bae, research director at The Fourth Wall, was cited as stating in relation to the research: “The study is not about promoting or going against gambling, but about recognising both the cultural realities and regulatory responsibilities at hand, with the ultimate aim of protecting people.
“As online gambling continues to rise in the country, there must be a shift toward more data-driven, research-informed dialogue towards regulation and policymaking,” he added.
