EXPLAINER | How online gam(bl)ing hooks Filipinos to the ‘swerte’ trap
Jea Nicole Jacot
We cannot talk about gambling without also talking about risk, loss, and the dangers looming over a gambler’s life. While they usually understand that losing is part of the chase for the big win, something as important as their rationality is often lost first with each hungry attempt. The risks even more glaring as casinos now cement their place on online platforms. Bets can be placed anytime and anywhere. And when the game of chances becomes more addictive, it has become so easy for people to lose track of its real-world risks.
In what they call "gamification," online gambling platforms in the Philippines adopt game-like elements to make betting seem less like gambling and more like casual entertainment. These platforms are purposely designed to be fun and engaging, sneaky in their attempt to draw players deeper into the swerte trap. The jeepney driver who spent his meager earnings on BingoPlus, for one, drew massive concern, not because the unfortunate situation is rare, but because it shows the growing reality for most ordinary Filipino gamblers.
This vulnerability is not simply the gamblers’ fault, but rather it goes from individual behavior to broader environment. Gambling sites know exactly how to get them hooked into the game and they do so while swiftly sucking money out of their e-pockets.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has recently bid goodbye to the industry’s long-preferred euphemism of online "gaming” in favor of the more direct term, “gambling.” Precise wording does matter here because there needs reminding that betting online — though entertaining — is never without a great cost.
Behind the gold rush
Gambling culture in the country has taken a reset as it changed venues to mobile phones. In comparison to the inconvenience of going to physical casinos, online gambling apps have made it easy for the average Filipinos to keep on betting. While firstly driven by the promise of instant money, many remain glued 24/7 to Casino Plus or Arena Plus because it is simply designed to be addictive.
Akin to the thrill of playing our favorite games, online casinos have their ways to keep luring the gambler back. Sociologist Randall Collins, in his theory of interaction ritual chains, suggests that successive patterns of behavior shared with a group can generate what he terms “high emotional energy,” which involves a combination of adrenaline, communal excitement, and a sense of achievement. Though the actors are not physically together in the context of online gambling, it can still lead to these shared feelings as game-like settings can spark rhythmic interaction driven by leaderboards, daily quests, players’ groups, and celebratory sounds and graphics. Online gamblers would feel like it’s a win even when it’s not much. These small, random forms of rewards boost the dopamine rush and make it difficult to tame the anticipation for another win.
In her book Addiction by Design, cultural anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll explains how such tactics do not end by merely tricking people to play. Online casinos may function just like another game, but they are designed to keep everyday gamblers coming back.
Winner takes all
In the first quarter of 2025 — a period after the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) ban — PAGCOR reported a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of Php 104.12 billion. Of this total, electronic games and e-bingos contributed the largest, representing 49.4 percent of the country's gambling market revenue.
As early as the third quarter of 2024, the GGR reached 94.61 billion, with the electronic gaming sector generating Php 35.71 billion, which was far larger from the previous year’s Php 6.32 billion. “This impressive performance is a strong indication that the use of modern technology and mobile gadgets in gaming and amusement will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of gaming,” said PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco, on the growing appeal of e-games.
Big industry players likewise tap into the potential of improved gaming technologies. DigiPlus Interactive Corporation Chairman Eusebio Tanco said in an interview with BusinessWorld that “more Filipinos are embracing online gaming and sports betting as part of their entertainment choices.” The gambling company operates well-known gambling apps like Bingo Plus, Arena Plus, and GameZone.
Corporations, like Razon-led Bloomberry, are eyeing online gambling as data shows how it is outpacing traditional licensed casinos. “Bloomberry’s foray into online gaming will create a new revenues source for the company that should help mitigate the temporary weakness in its land-based casinos,” said Juan Paolo Colet, Chinabank Capital Corporation Managing Director, in a report by Manila Bulletin.
Despite claims of positive economic growth, the average Filipino continues to suffer financial losses because of online gambling. The said platforms can be directly tied to mobile banking apps, which makes it easy to load money for bets. GCash, with over 90 million active users, has a games feature that directly links them to gambling sites. Not only that, it also offers a microloan feature which makes borrowing money for users convenient.
Reagan Prafesora, who directs a gamblers' support group in Manila, told the Rest of World that “even small-time gamblers can cash in a small amount of money, say 100 pesos, and play right away.”
Prafesora added that GCash allows users to have transactions with gambling sites not approved by PAGCOR. Since these unregistered sites are not obliged to follow the established code of practice and measures, there might be no guarantee of a fair game.
Loser’s fall, not just a personal fault?
From neglected responsibilities to strained relationships, the misfortune of a Filipino gambler is not a new story. However, the burden of blame shouldn't fall solely on the individual, as all systemic influences contribute to their vulnerability to personal loss.
In the recent WR Numero report, online gambling is said to be more common among young Filipinos, who comprise a large portion of the country’s internet users. If government regulation still falls short and proper supervision is nowhere to be found, the country would have to watch its new generation of gamblers stumble to the swerte trap.