The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued an order requiring all e-wallet providers to remove icons and links to online gambling platforms within 48 hours. BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan said the deadline is Sunday.

The Senate warned that BSP officials could be held accountable if online gambling links were still found in e-wallets after the stipulated time. Some senators, including Alan Peter Cayetano and Joel Villanueva, questioned why the two-day wait was necessary when immediate removal was possible. The BSP responded that it needed to give businesses and users time to withdraw funds from their accounts before fully removing the links.

Some well-known e-wallet companies have stated that they will comply with the regulations and guarantee that while removing online gambling links, other services will continue to operate normally and securely.

At the Senate hearing, Senator Erwin Tulfo emphasized that online gambling, whether legal or illegal, ruins families and plunges people into debt. He believes that no amount of tax can offset the damage it causes to people's lives.

Data shows that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of the Philippine online gaming industry will be 8 billion pesos in 2022, rising to 33.16 billion pesos in 2023, and soaring to 135.71 billion pesos in 2024. By the first half of 2025, revenue had already reached 106.53 billion pesos. Consequently, many lawmakers have been calling for tighter regulations, or even a complete ban on online gaming operations in the country.