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Illegal Gambling (File photo)
Authorities have blocked at least 50,000 illegal online gambling websites, but the problem continues as new platforms quickly replace those taken down, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) told lawmakers.
During a recent Senate hearing, the CICC disclosed that it has been blocking an average of 50,000 online gambling sites, with about 95 to 97 percent of them operating from outside the Philippines.
Because most of these platforms are hosted overseas, Philippine authorities can only restrict local access and cannot permanently shut them down, highlighting enforcement limits tied to cross-border cybercrime.
On Feb. 16, Senator Win Gatchalian pressed officials for stronger measures, saying blocking alone is not enough.
“These are like mushrooms; even if they are blocked today, they will be there tomorrow. It’s never-ending. The root needs to be cut. Have you gone further than blocking?” Gatchalian asked CICC officials.
CICC representatives acknowledged that once a website is blocked within Philippine jurisdiction, operators can easily reappear under a different domain name or server location.
They said the global nature of internet infrastructure allows illegal operators to stay ahead of regulators, particularly as digital payment systems, aggressive social media promotion and round-the-clock mobile access continue to fuel the growth of unlicensed betting platforms.
CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso proposed appointing “cyber diplomats” to strengthen international cooperation against online crimes.
He noted that the Philippines does not currently have designated officials focused specifically on cyber diplomacy.
Paraiso also recommended expanding existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties to cover cyber-related offenses more comprehensively, explaining that many current agreements were designed primarily for traditional crimes and do not fully address the technical and jurisdictional complexities of online gambling.
Rather than pushing for a total prohibition, Gatchalian has advocated tighter regulation.
Last year, he filed the proposed Online Gambling Regulatory Act, which seeks to establish stricter licensing, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms for online gambling operators.
The senator argued that a blanket ban could push operations further underground, making them more difficult to detect and regulate.
With illegal gambling sites continuing to proliferate despite mass blocking efforts, lawmakers are now exploring stronger regulatory tools and enhanced international coordination to address what Gatchalian described as a “never-ending” digital threat.