The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered all e-wallet platforms to eliminate, within 48 hours, any links leading to online gambling sites.
At a Senate committee on games and amusements hearing Thursday, BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan revealed that the directive specifically targets in-app features that promote or allow direct access to e-gambling sites.
However, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian pointed out that gamblers can still place bets using e-wallets by directly visiting gambling websites through their mobile phones or computers.
The market’s two dominant e-wallet apps are GCash—owned by Globe Telecom—and Maya, formerly PayMaya, which now also operates as a BSP-supervised digital bank. GCash reported 81 million active users in January 2025, while Maya Bank recorded 5.4 million customers as of the end of 2024.
In a statement late Thursday, BSP announced that its directive applies to all supervised financial institutions, including e-wallets, banks (via payment apps and websites), and other regulated entities.
The order covers any in-app product, service, or feature that redirects account holders to gambling platforms. The suspension will remain in effect until the BSP finalizes its policy on online gambling payment services.
GCash responded: “We share the BSP’s commitment to ensuring that digital financial services are used responsibly and in ways that protect the welfare of Filipinos. Once we receive the official directive, we will immediately enforce the necessary changes to ensure compliance and safeguard our users.”
Maya, in a separate statement, said: “The update will be implemented in line with the BSP’s guidance.”