Philippine Senator Pushes Total Gambling Ad Ban, Modelled on Tobacco Rules

Philippine Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero says a nationwide ban on gambling advertising would be the "first step in a broader effort to reduce gambling-related harm" and lay the groundwork for a fuller regulatory framework.

His Senate Bill No. 2347 calls for "firm, legally enforceable limits on how gambling platforms promote themselves". It would prohibit gambling advertisements and promotions across television, radio, print, websites and social media, ban celebrity endorsers and influencers, outlaw bonus incentives that encourage betting, and bar gambling content from online, electronic and physical media.

Speaking on his podcast "Chiz Wiz! Usapang May Laman" over the weekend, Escudero argued the restrictions have to come through legislation rather than self-regulation. "What is needed is a law on advertising because you need to regulate private companies here," he said. He wants the Ad Standards Council's voluntary guidelines, which ask members to remove gambling imagery across media, written into law precisely because they are not currently legally enforceable. His stated model is the country's treatment of tobacco.

The proposal lands on a market already contracting. Revenue from the Philippines' iGaming sector fell by more than 40% in the first half of 2026, with regulator PAGCOR pointing to economic uncertainty caused by tensions in the Middle East. Critics of the bill argue an advertising ban would push players toward black market operators that face no such constraint, weakening the licensed sector without reducing play. The country also hosts offshore operations serving other markets illegally: the $3.3 billion ring broken up by South Korean police this month was run out of Pasay City. Macau, facing its own concentration problem, is committing $16 billion to reduce its dependence on casino revenue.

Similar restrictions are moving elsewhere. A draft in Mexico City would limit promotions and enticement marketing, and Sao Paulo is weighing bills that would ban betting advertising in public spaces with fines of up to R$50,000 per infraction.