A Philippine House bill would prohibit public advertising of online gambling while allowing regulated marketing of land-based casinos and other licensed gambling activities.
Cebu 3rd District Representative Karen Hope Garcia filed House Bill 10982, or the proposed Online Gambling Advertising Prohibition Act of 2026, on August 26th, according to a copy published by the House of Representatives. Cebu Daily News first reported the filing Tuesday.
The measure would cover television, radio, print, billboards, social media, streaming services, websites, mobile applications, paid search, affiliate marketing, influencer promotions, direct messaging, and sports or event sponsorships.
Paid endorsements by public figures, including celebrities, athletes, influencers and content creators, would also be prohibited. Journalism, academic research, artistic works not funded by operators, responsible-gambling information and genuine noncommercial communications would be excluded.
Licensed online operators could provide limited factual information on their own platforms, but only to registered users who have completed age and identity verification. The bill would set 21 as the minimum age and require government-record checks alongside biometric or liveness verification.
Unlike public marketing of online gambling, advertising for licensed gaming premises, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office lotteries, authorized horse racing and licensed cockfighting would be regulated rather than banned, with placement, content and warning restrictions.
The proposal follows Senate Bill 2347, filed by Senator Francis Escudero in July, which seeks a broader nationwide ban on gambling advertising across traditional and digital media.
The explanatory note cites PAGCOR data showing online gaming accounted for 50.77 percent of total Philippine gaming revenue in 2025.
