The Philippines government announces the biggest success in fighting against illegal online gambling in recent years. 

According to data by the National Cybercrime Center, the illegal online gambling volume has decreased by 93% in Q3 2025 in comparison to last year. The united efforts by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the National Bureau of Investigation, and local banks that blocked payment channels and sites without licenses. 

The main measure that helped to combat illegal gambling was the strict restriction on payments via popular e-wallets such as GCash, PayMaya, and ShopeePay. Now each suspicious payment is checked manually, and accounts connected with illegal gambling sites are blocked automatically. Apart from it, the government has started to cooperate with international companies to track traffic and payment flows that go abroad, mainly to China and Cambodia, where illegal operators are based. 

PAGCOR representatives highlighted that the market cleanup is not a temporary campaign; it’s a systematic industry rebuilding. They say that bans, financial monitoring, and licensing strengthening will lead to complete success. Yet some experts warn that together with illegal sites, there’s a chance that legal operators will suffer as well—new rules make payments slower and increase the companies’ spending. 

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