MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on Monday raised concerns over the growing prevalence of online gaming, warning that mobile apps have effectively placed a “casino in every Filipino’s pocket.”

Escudero called for a comprehensive financial and social audit of Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs), urging regulators to assess the potential risks posed by the industry.

“Online gaming can now pick the pocket of every Filipino,” Escudero said, emphasizing the need for a “social cost-state benefit” analysis to determine its economic and societal impact.

The Senate leader said the government should apply the same level of scrutiny to PIGOs as it did with the now-banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

“What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” he said. “An anomaly does not cease to be one because Filipinos are doing it.”

Escudero challenged regulators to conduct a thorough review of PIGOs, similar to how authorities previously studied POGOs.

“I would like to see government practice the same attention to detail in assessing PIGO as it did with POGO. Hindi ba lahat ng ahensya ng pamahalaan went granular in studying the impact of POGOs on our society?” he said.

The senator said an investigation should reveal details on PIGOs’ tax payments, ownership structure, government revenue shares, and criminal cases linked to gambling addiction.

He also pushed for a reassessment of the entire gaming industry to determine how much Filipinos collectively wager annually.

“Ang nakikita lang kasi natin ay ‘yung gross revenues, net income ng mga gaming and gambling firms. Pero dapat ilabas ang total na taya na inilalagak ng mga Pilipino across the board and in all platforms,” he said.

Escudero said industry reports estimate that total online bets could reach between P600 billion and P1 trillion annually—more than double the gross annual sales of a popular fast-food chain in the country.

“Mas malaki rin ito ng PHP150 billion sa value ng ani ng palay sa Pilipinas sa loob ng isang taon. I-compute mo ang halaga ng lahat ng baboy, manok, baka, kambing na na-produce sa Pilipinas, mas malaki pa rin ang nataya sa online gaming,” he said.

Beyond financial implications, Escudero said regulators must also consider the social costs of online gambling.

“Hindi ba addictive ang mga apps na ito na pati ang pera pampagkain ng pamilya o pang gatas ng bata ay itataya na lang?” he said. “At hindi ba totoo na ang tao na sa sugal nagigipit ay sa krimen at kalokohan kakapit?”

The Senate President also raised concerns over the lack of age restrictions in online gaming, noting that while physical casinos can screen underage visitors, “there is no bar for a grade schooler to log into a PIGO account.”