Removal of gaming apps from GCash, Maya pumps up unregulated sites
Access to unregulated online gambling websites may continue expanding over time following the unlinking of e-wallet platforms from authorized websites, underscoring their role in shaping player behavior, according to a study.
Sociocultural research firm The Fourth Wall found in a recent report that since the government had banned access to regulated online gambling platforms via e-wallet applications on Aug. 16, unregulated platforms saw a 40-percent surge in number of players.
Meanwhile, players in regulated platforms plummeted by 70 percent.
This signaled “a shift rather than an overall decline in online gambling activity,” The Fourth Wall said.
“Trends suggest that these unregulated platforms will continue expanding, drawing in players who exit regulated channels,” it added.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ordered e-wallets to unlink from online gambling apps by Aug. 16. Both Ayala-backed GCash and Manuel Pangilinan-led Maya have released statements announcing their compliance.
An earlier The Fourth Wall study also found that 92 percent of players prefer using GCash for gaming-related transactions, while 6 percent preferred Maya and 2 percent preferred over-the-counter payment outlets.
The Fourth Wall found in its survey of over 1,000 online gambling players from Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and other key cities nationwide that 42 percent of players had high trust in e-wallets and their safety features.
These people are 2.3 times more likely to shift to unregulated platforms, compared with those with low trust, who made up 18 percent.
“Since e-wallets remain available on unregulated sites, players may perceive this as a signal of safety and migrate there,” The Fourth Wall said.
Additionally, it found that the age verification process of e-wallets was an important safety feature. Players that value this are 2.4 times more likely to move to unregulated platforms.
“This dynamic highlights how payment channels themselves can influence perceptions of legitimacy,” The Fourth Wall research director John Brylle Bae said.
As a result, Bae pointed out discussions around online gambling regulation should move beyond implementing an outright ban and instead consider how trusted tools, like e-wallets, shape behavior and perceptions.
