Pagcor to Use AI Technology in Fight Against 11,985 Gambling Websites

An online gambling platform is shown to be readily available on mobile phones.

Pagcor to Use AI Technology in Fight Against 11,985 Gambling Websites

By Bing Jabadan – TheNationWeek.Com | September 17, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is preparing to use AI (artificial intelligence) technology to combat approximately 11,985 illegal gambling websites.

The move, announced during a recent Senate hearing, includes collaboration with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to speed up the blocking of illicit gambling sites.

Lawyer Jessa Fernandez, assistant vice president of Pagcor’s Offshore Gaming Licensing Department, announced that the AI tool will provide real-time monitoring of illegal gambling activities, instead of the agency relying on manual reports.

“With our AI-driven tool, we can now effectively monitor illegal (gambling) websites,” Fernandez declared.

“Additionally, with the support of the CICC, NTC, and DICT, we are establishing an agreement to expedite the blocking process for these sites.”

However, even as Pagcor battles the illegal online gambling industry, the accessibility of legal and readily available online gambling platforms is creating a national addiction crisis, particularly among the nation’s most vulnerable population – young people.

Recently, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ordered all banks and e-wallets to cut ties with online gambling platforms, a move that prompted GCash, a widely used e-wallet, to remove its gambling features.

While the action is a step in the right direction, the problem extends far beyond a simple app deletion.

“I’ve seen it first-hand. Low-income Filipinos burning the midnight oil, eyes glued to their screens, desperately hoping that the next spin, the next bet, will deliver salvation,” says businessman Jaime dela Cruz.

Most of these individuals are often delivery riders, salon workers, and students succumbing to the allure of quick riches, fueling a surge in gambling-related crime.

Reports of estafa, qualified theft, and scams against family members are on the rise as gamblers pawn ATM cards to seek funds and chase their losses.

Their desperation has created a fertile ground for predatory lending apps that harass borrowers, doxx their contacts, and publicly humiliate them.

“This has indeed turned the gambler’s shame into a public spectacle,” De la Cruz said.

The cycle is vicious: online gambling fuels crime, which leads to debt and ultimately, despair.

“Many individuals are unaware of the financial repercussions of their gambling activities until it’s too late,” said Angelito Domingo, Pagcor vice president for the Human Resource and Development Group, citing the need for player education.

Pagcor has initiated a gaming education framework to mitigate the rise of illegal online gambling through enhanced player education, operator training, and public outreach.

While Pagcor projects the country’s gross gaming revenue at $7 billion this year, the human cost of this booming industry cannot be ignored.