TLDR
- Baguio City councilors passed a second-reading ordinance to ban online gambling operations in the city.
- No new permits or renewals will be issued for online casinos, e-games, online sabong, e-bingo, and related services.
- Existing operators get one year to shut down after the ordinance takes effect.
- Gambling ads will be banned in public spaces, schools, parks, and churches, and sponsorships of public events are restricted.
- People under 25 will be barred from gambling venues, and a new council will be created to enforce the rules.
Baguio City has taken a step toward shutting down online gambling within its borders. The City Council passed the proposed ordinance in its second reading this week.
The measure targets a wide range of online gambling activities. This includes online casinos, e-games, online sabong, e-bingo outlets, and online poker. Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and related support businesses are also covered.
What the Ordinance Changes
Under the new rules, the city will stop issuing new permits or renewals for these gambling operations. Businesses that already hold permits will have one year from the ordinance’s effectivity to close down.
The ordinance also limits how gambling can be advertised. Billboards, posters, LED screens, transit ads, and flyers promoting gambling will no longer be allowed in public areas. These ads would only be permitted inside licensed gambling establishments themselves.
Public spaces get added protection under the rules. Schools, universities, parks, churches, sports facilities, and designated Healthy Child Zones cannot display gambling branding or promotions.
Gambling companies are also barred from sponsoring educational, sporting, cultural, religious, arts, tourism, or municipal events. This includes barangay programs and the city’s Panagbenga Festival. Donations from gambling firms can still happen, but they cannot carry the company’s name or any gambling-related branding.
Rules Aimed at Protecting Young People
The ordinance places a strong focus on people under 25. They will not be allowed to enter gambling establishments or take part in games of chance, including barangay bingo.
Schools, universities, and student dormitories will be marked as gambling-free zones. Anyone violating these zone rules could face penalties and be referred to regulators.
Barangay bingo activities, recognized by the Supreme Court as a legal fundraising tool, will still be allowed. But only traditional, non-electronic bingo using physical cards and manually drawn numbers can be used.
Barangays that want to hold bingo events must notify a new oversight body first. They also need to follow venue and age rules, limit how often and how long events run, and report how the money raised was spent.
A new Youth and Family Protection Against Gambling Council will be created to manage these efforts. It will include members from city government, law enforcement, academic institutions, NGOs, and barangays.
The council’s duties include managing barangay fundraising, handling public complaints, and submitting quarterly reports to the City Council. The city also plans to build a digital reporting system so residents can flag illegal gambling websites, apps, and social media accounts.
Reports collected through this system will be sent to PAGCOR, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center. The city also intends to work with internet providers and financial networks to block gambling transactions.
Violators of the ordinance face fines of up to P5,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both. Additional penalties could include license revocation, business closures, and daily fines for repeat violations.
