The Philippine government has secured a major victory in its escalating campaign against online gambling, with social media platform TikTok agreeing to a
The Philippine government has secured a major victory in its escalating campaign against online gambling, with social media platform TikTok agreeing to a blanket ban on all Real Money Gambling ( RMG) advertisements in the country.
The ban, which will take effect on 22 August, was confirmed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). DICT Secretary Henry Aguda described the decision as a “major boost” to the government’s efforts to create a safer digital environment, in line with a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “It is significant for global platforms like TikTok to support the government’s digital safety efforts,” Aguda said.
TikTok’s decision is the latest in a rapid series of government-led actions designed to clamp down on the sprawling online gambling ecosystem in the Philippines. This coordinated offensive is targeting both the payment and marketing channels that support the industry.
The move comes just one week after the country’s central bank, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), ordered all banks and e-wallet services to remove any direct links to gambling websites from within their applications. As has been previously reported, the head of the gaming regulator PAGCOR has already stated that this e-wallet ban has had the immediate effect of cutting legal online gaming transactions by as much as 50%, while fuelling a surge in black market activity.
The pressure from lawmakers is continuing to build. The Philippine Senate is in the midst of a wide-ranging inquiry into the social harms of online gambling. Having already heard from regulators, the committee is now preparing to summon senior executives from banks, e-wallet firms, and telecommunications providers to explain why gambling-related transactions and promotions persist.
Lawmakers like Senator Sherwin Gatchalian have been vocal critics, recently highlighting how gambling operators are now embedding their services in mainstream apps like Viber, Telegram, and the e-commerce site Lazada to bypass the recent restrictions.
For operators in the market, both licensed and unlicensed, the message from the Philippine government is clear and uncompromising. Authorities are systematically closing down the key payment and advertising channels that the online gambling industry relies on, creating an increasingly hostile and challenging operating environment.
