LISTED digital entertainment provider DigiPlus Interactive Corp. is appealing for dialogue with lawmakers amid proposed restrictions on online gambling, warning that a total ban could affect the livelihood of those in the industry.
“If there are new standards to meet, or better ways to protect players, we will act swiftly and responsibly; but please, do not condemn an industry, and the 50,000 Filipino families who rely on it, without hearing the facts first,” DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday.
DigiPlus called for a fact-based dialogue “grounded not in fear or stigma but in the shared goal of building a stronger, safer, and more accountable gaming industry.”
The company operates the platforms BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone.
“We are appealing to the government: Let us approach this rationally. If we study the issue with clear eyes, we will see that the social ills being blamed on online gaming stem from the illegal market. That is where underage gambling happens. That is where financial abuse thrives. Target that, and the harm disappears,” DigiPlus said.
According to DigiPlus, a total ban puts at risk over 3,000 direct DigiPlus employees and an estimated 50,000 jobs across the online gaming industry.
It also said that a ban would only push players toward unregulated sites.
“In every city, in every province, our people are asking: are we no longer welcome, even when we’ve done everything right?” Mr. Tanco said.
Mr. Tanco said DigiPlus is open to evolving and improving its platforms wherever needed.
“Tell us what more we must do, and we will do it without hesitation. Just grant us the fairness owed to any lawful Filipino enterprise,” he said.
DigiPlus noted that the current atmosphere surrounding online gambling “feels less like regulation and more like retribution.”
“We stand licensed, audited, and transparent, yet we are made to answer for the crimes of illegal operators who respect neither law nor livelihood,” Mr. Tanco said.
DigiPlus said it is concerned that law-abiding operators are being swept into suspicion aimed at catching illegal operators.
Since November last year, the company has been implementing many of the measures now being debated in Congress, such as rigorous know-your-customer checks, mandatory age verification, self-exclusion tools, and responsible-gaming prompts.
The company added that it has consistently aligned its operations with regulatory expectations from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and other relevant government agencies.
“Every peso flowing through its platforms is taxed, audited, and remitted to PAGCOR and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, funding healthcare, infrastructure, and disaster relief,” DigiPlus said.
“We are not asking for special treatment. We are simply asking to be judged by our actions, not by perception, nor by association with those who break the law. Regulation works best when it uplifts what is working, not when it dismantles it,” it added.
The country’s online gambling industry has come under heightened scrutiny, with lawmakers calling for either its regulation or a total ban amid concerns over rising addiction and financial harm.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recently released a draft circular to regulate online gambling payments and address the misuse of financial services.
Separately, the Department of Finance has proposed a tax on online gaming as well as cash-in limits.
DigiPlus shares rose by 22.6% or P4.47 to P24.25 each on Wednesday. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave