Deadline hits for removal of online gaming billboards

Online gaming firms should have completely removed all their outdoor advertisements by today, Aug. 15, following an order from the gambling regulator amid heightened scrutiny into the fast-growing but controversial sector.

It may be recalled that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) issued a memo last month ordering the operators of online gaming platforms to immediately take down their billboards and other gambling-related out-of-home (OOH) advertisements.

It was Pagcor’s first major step that appeared to heed the concerns raised recently by Church leaders and some lawmakers about e-gambling as a cause of addiction and financial ruin, especially among the poor, as it becomes more accessible and aggressively promoted.

Days after issuing such an order, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pagcor and Ad Standards Council (ASC) was signed. The MoU added gambling to the council’s list of “must-screen” categories—joining alcoholic beverages, over-the-counter medicines, food supplements, airline/transport services with promotional fares and breast milk substitutes.

The agreement also stated that all branded or corporate gambling ads, including television, radio, online, and outdoor advertising, must be reviewed and approved by ASC prior to public release to “curb misleading content and protect vulnerable groups from potential harm.” ASC screens ad content across media platforms.

Other sectors are also putting measures in place to curb gambling addiction. For one, mobile wallet giant GCash is tightening its rules on online gambling promotions on its platform as the booming sector faces increasing public and regulatory scrutiny.

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The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it was in the final stages of crafting tighter payment regulations aimed at curbing online gambling addiction and shielding Filipinos from the financial harm it can cause.

The central bank said the forthcoming rules were developed following public consultations and will require banks, e-wallets and other financial service providers to adopt stronger safeguards against gambling-related risks.