PAGCOR, Ad Standards Council team up to regulate gambling ads
After nine months of consultation, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Ad Standards Council (ASC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to regulate and pre-screen gambling-related advertisements across all media platforms.
The signing ceremony was led by PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco and ASC Chairperson Golda Roldan at the PAGCOR Corporate Office in Pasay City. The move is part of efforts to promote responsible advertising in the country’s gaming sector.
“Almost a year ago, we began initial talks about this initiative. Today, we are gathered here to formally sign this agreement so that we can immediately execute everything we committed to in this Memorandum of Understanding,” Tengco said.
Gambling now a ‘must-screen’ ad category
Under the agreement, gambling is added to the ASC’s list of “must-screen” categories, which currently include alcoholic beverages, over-the-counter medicines, food supplements, airline or transport services with promotional fares, and breast milk substitutes. The MOU ensures that all branded or corporate gambling advertisements—whether on television, radio, online, or outdoor platforms—must be reviewed and approved by the ASC before being released to the public.
“Our main objective here is simple: to ensure that gambling advertisements are not deceptive and do not take advantage of other people’s weaknesses,” Tengco said in Filipino.
ASC highlights consumer protection
For her part, ASC Chairperson Roldan emphasised the need for greater care in advertising messages in industries such as gambling. “We stand with PAGCOR in our shared goal of protecting the Filipino people, especially in sectors like gambling where communication requires greater sensitivity and care,” she said.
Roldan noted that the collaboration demonstrates ASC’s continued commitment to upholding ethical advertising and safeguarding vulnerable communities.
New rules follow PAGCOR crackdown on outdoor ads
The MOU was finalised weeks after PAGCOR ordered the removal of all gambling-related billboards and out-of-home advertisements, including those seen on buses, jeepneys, taxis, and train systems.
PAGCOR licensees and stakeholders were given until 15 August to comply with the directive. The move was part of a broader effort to reduce public exposure to potentially harmful advertising while regulators examine the wider impact of online gambling.
Wider regulatory pressures continue to mount
The PAGCOR-ASC agreement comes amid growing scrutiny of the gambling sector in the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is currently reviewing calls for a possible ban on online gambling. However, government officials have emphasised that any decision must consider the economic impact and enforcement challenges.
Meanwhile, the Department of Finance (DOF) has proposed new taxes on online gaming, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country’s central bank, is seeking public input on a draft circular that would impose tighter controls on digital payment systems linked to gambling activities.
Despite these developments, industry groups and some regulators continue to advocate for regulation over prohibition. Tengco, for instance, has emphasised the value of strengthened licensing and monitoring tools to address abuses rather than resorting to blanket bans.
