Key Moments:
- 55 percent of surveyed Filipino players reported not knowing the legal implications of betting on unregulated sites, with just 12 percent finding the rules clear
- Higher frequency gambling and larger losses were predominantly reported on unregulated platforms, with major losses of PHP5,000 ($85.94) or more found almost exclusively there
- More than 90 percent of respondents signed up for unregulated sites with minimal verification, and 80 percent indicated the absence of betting limits
Knowledge Gap on Legal Risks
A study conducted by The Fourth Wall has highlighted a significant lack of awareness among Filipino online gamblers regarding the dangers of participating in unregulated platforms. Of the 400 respondents from Mega Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao, the majority indicated unfamiliarity with the legal consequences of betting on these sites. Only a small fraction found the existing rules to be straightforward.
John Brylle Bae, research director at The Fourth Wall, underscored the insufficiency of regulatory measures in closing this knowledge gap. “Community organisations, schools, and families can play a role in making the risks more understandable in everyday contexts, translating abstract ideas like ‘lack of legal recourse’ into relatable consequences such as financial vulnerability, scams, or unresolved complaints,” he said.
Bae also stressed that educational institutions could include financial literacy and digital safety to address risks like underage gambling and scams, and that families might help by overseeing digital wallet activity at home. “Families can play a preventive role by monitoring e-wallet usage, particularly since our research shows that some minors were able to gamble through their parents’ accounts. Community organisations, meanwhile, can amplify responsible play campaigns and create peer-based support systems that make these risks more visible and relatable.”
Trust and Perceived Profitability Outweigh Legality
The findings suggest that Filipino players are more strongly guided by their trust in a platform and the potential for profit than by concerns about legality.
“Trust, not legality, drives player behaviour,” Bae said. “Confidence, fairness, and perceived profitability matter more than platform features. This explains why players, despite uncertainty and uneasiness, continue to engage with unregulated platforms as long as they perceive a chance to win.”
Bae detailed how immediate financial outcomes and direct personal experiences shape these gambling choices much more than institutional cues like certifications. He observed that a strong focus on social proof and the continued presence of convenient payment methods, especially e-wallets, reinforce this behavior.
“Filipino players tend to stay if they feel they are ‘winning’ or at least managing losses, and leave if they encounter unresolved problems. This reflects a psychological tendency to value immediate financial outcomes and personal experience over formal assurances like certifications, which 65 percent do not recall seeing.”
“Culturally, this links to a broader reliance on social proof and lived experience rather than institutional signals—players trust what they feel and see directly, rather than abstract compliance marks. In our previous study on e-wallets’ impact on online gambling behaviour, we found that Filipino players often equate the continued availability of familiar payment tools—especially e-wallets—with legitimacy, reflecting a cultural tendency to trust the tool itself rather than the regulatory framework behind it,” he added.
Behavior Patterns and Financial Outcomes
Players on unregulated sites are wagering more frequently and with higher amounts. According to the study, 41 percent reported playing two to three times each week, while nearly a third indicated gambling four or more times weekly. Standard bets ranged between PHP100 and PHP499 ($1.72 to $8.58), but the higher stakes of PHP1,000 ($17.19) and above were mostly placed with unregulated operators.
Financial losses tended to be greater on these platforms. Most commonly, losses fell within the PHP100 to PHP999 ($1.72 to $17.17) range, but the largest losses, totaling PHP5,000 ($85.94) or more, occurred almost entirely on unregulated sites. Around 41 percent of participants reported quitting due to financial setbacks.
| Player Persona | Percentage |
|---|---|
| High-stakes losers | 44% |
| Perceived winners | 28% |
| Casual break-even players | 17% |
| Regulated converts | 11% |
Easy Signup and Minimal Oversight
Access to unregulated gambling sites was typically fast and required little to no identity verification – often just a phone number or email. Over 90 percent of surveyed players joined these platforms with minimal barriers. A lack of betting limits, reported by 80 percent, further increased risks, particularly for young and vulnerable individuals.
Fairness certifications were rarely encountered; 65 percent had not seen any. Complaint resolution was also inadequate: 37 percent of those with problems said their concerns were acknowledged but not resolved, and 16 percent never received a response.
Promotions and Engagement Drivers
Promotional efforts by these sites were widespread. Nearly all respondents recalled seeing promotional offers, and 52 percent remembered three or more such campaigns in a given month, mainly in the form of onboarding bonuses. Longer-term incentives like cashback were less frequent, and affiliate program participation stood at 15 percent.
Pathways to Improved Awareness
Bae concluded that clearer, more relatable messaging could better address player uncertainty. “Campaigns would be more effective if they focus less on abstract warnings and more on tangible risks and lived consequences. Our data shows that players respond strongly to experiences of loss (41% of former players left due to financial losses) and to the absence of trust signals like complaint resolutio n.”
“Awareness messages that highlight ‘what happens if things go wrong’ may resonate more than technical explanations of regulation. Moreover, since many players remain neutral or undecided, campaigns could target this group by emphasising the protections and recourse available in regulated platforms, presented in clear, everyday language. Storytelling grounded in familiar scenarios (e.g., scams, blocked withdrawals, or underage access) may also make the risks more relatable,” he concluded.
- Author
Daniel Williams
