MANILA—Senator Erwin Tulfo commended e-wallet firms for complying with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 48-hour deadline to remove links of online gambling sites from their mobile applications.

“We laud the move of the e-wallet firms to delink these online gambling sites from their platforms. This is a sign that the business sector is willing to work with the government in addressing the problem of online gambling addiction in our country,” said Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement.

Tulfo, however, stressed that efforts should not stop with e-wallet companies and must also extend to other mobile platforms.

He noted that operators behind online gambling are shifting to other apps such as Viber, Telegram, and Lazada to reach their customers.

As an example, Tulfo cited BingoPlus’ recent advisory which told patrons that its services remain accessible. “Starting August 16, BingoPlus will bring you the fun through our app, website, and Viber, while still allowing easy deposits and withdrawals via Cash and Maya. Your account stays 100% active and ready to play!” the advisory read.

The senator also pointed out that Lazada is being used to sell BingoPlus vouchers, which can be purchased like other items on the platform using e-wallets, debit, or credit cards. The vouchers can then be converted into credits for use in the gambling app.

“The fight against the accessibility of gambling to the public is far from over and we will do our best to work with the private sector and other stakeholders to come up with a holistic approach in addressing this problem,” Tulfo said.

“We are not enemies here. We are allies that should work hand in hand to ensure that the next generation of Filipinos are not gambling addicts,” he added.