{"id":12639,"date":"2025-07-08T13:25:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/?post_type=opinion&#038;p=12639"},"modified":"2025-07-08T13:25:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:25:05","slug":"banning-wont-work-smarter-rules-needed-to-manage-online-gambling-in-the-philippines","status":"publish","type":"opinion","link":"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/opinion\/banning-wont-work-smarter-rules-needed-to-manage-online-gambling-in-the-philippines\/","title":{"rendered":"Banning won\u2019t work: Smarter rules needed to manage online gambling in the Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recent calls to ban offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the Philippines may seem like a firm stance against crime and corruption, but banning legal gambling rarely solves the problem\u2014it just pushes it underground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the concern raised by Professor Ron Mendoza, who warns that eliminating regulated gaming platforms creates a dangerous vacuum. \u201cIf we ban it outright, we push the industry underground. That\u2019s worse,\u201d he told <em>Insider PH<\/em>. His words carry weight, especially in a region where <strong>unregulated online betting syndicates already operate across borders, beyond the reach of national laws<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mundovideo.com.co\/landing\/multigame-link-la-fiesta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/la-fiesta-link-mundovideo.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/la-fiesta-link-mundovideo.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/la-fiesta-link-mundovideo-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mundovideo.com.co\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/la-fiesta-link-mundovideo-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A blanket ban on POGOs could also <strong>harm the legitimate economic contributions<\/strong> these firms make\u2014employment, tax revenues, and infrastructure investments that, if monitored effectively, can be harnessed for public good. Instead of banning, Mendoza proposes smarter regulation: stricter licensing, transparent auditing, better enforcement, and collaboration with international bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This approach is not only more realistic\u2014it\u2019s more effective. History has shown that prohibition leads to <strong>fragmented, harder-to-track networks<\/strong>, not the elimination of vice. It also emboldens illegal operators who no longer have to compete with legal alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Countries like the UK, Spain, and even Colombia have adopted robust licensing frameworks that balance control with industry growth. The Philippines has the same opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Smart regulation isn\u2019t about encouraging gambling\u2014it\u2019s about controlling it, protecting consumers, and limiting crime.<\/strong> Prohibition, on the other hand, leaves regulators blind and players exposed. In a digital world, shutting down online gambling isn\u2019t feasible. <strong>But regulating it with data, integrity, and cross-border oversight? That\u2019s the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cracking down on legal online gambling in the Philippines could push the market underground. Experts call for smarter regulation, not prohibition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12640,"menu_order":34,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2323,2364,2556],"class_list":["post-12639","opinion","type-opinion","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","tag-asia","tag-phillippines","tag-pogo","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Banning won\u2019t work: Smarter rules needed to manage online gambling in the Philippines - Mundo Video Entertainment | Casino News in Latin America and the World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cracking down on legal online gambling in the Philippines could push the market underground. 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