Philippines: Introduced Act Prohibiting the Online Placing of Bets for all Lotto Games and all Instant Paper Games (SB 2374)

On 1 August 2023, an Act Prohibiting the Online Placing of Bets for all Lotto Games and all Instant Paper Games (SB 2374) was introduced in the Senate of the Philippines. The Act would prohibit the placing of bets for all Lottery Games, including digit games, Small Town Lottery (STL), and other Instant Paper Games, as defined by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) 2022 Revised Rules and Regulations, unless the bets are placed physically at authorised Lotto Outlets. The Act would specifically ban the online placing of bets via mobile phones, laptops, tablets, personal computers, and similar devices for all lottery games and instant paper games. Furthermore, the Act would require that any changes to the systems and procedures for playing all Lottery Games that could impact revenue generation, the livelihood of lotto agents, or the charity mandate of the PCSO must be publicly disclosed to affected stakeholders and receive approval from the Office of the President.