Sen. Erwin Tulfo stated e-commerce platforms and Viber are currently being chosen by these operatives for their activities. Yesterday in Manila, Senator Tulfo shared that strict new monitoring of online gambling and the removal of gambling connections from e-wallets have pushed these companies over to encrypted messages and e-commerce applications. Tulfo, who is acting as chair of the Senate committee for games and amusement, explained that the task of limiting public access to gambling continues and there is ongoing coordination with private firms and different parties to create a collective solution.

Shift to Encrypted Apps and E-commerce Platforms

He points out that e-wallet service groups responded to the 48-hour command from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on August 14 by taking out gambling links inside their applications, but gambling operators are now quickly shifting to tools like Viber, Telegram, Lazada, among others. An example given by Tulfo is BingoPlus, which lets its users know that the games will still be reachable through encrypted chat programs.

BingoPlus Users Offered New Access Points Amid eWallet Restrictions

The notice from BingoPlus reads clearly that from August 16, users can get access through the app, standard website, or Viber while keeping deposits and withdrawals possible with GCash and Maya, with all accounts remaining active. Tulfo shared that e-commerce websites like Lazada can also be used as entry points since BingoPlus coupons are listed there. People can buy these coupons just as they would purchase other goods, using e-wallets, debit, or credit cards, and these are later converted into credits for gaming.

Government’s Stand and Policy Review

The choice by the e-wallet firms to block gambling sites received Tulfo’s approval. He believes this shows these companies are ready to support the government in dealing with possible online gambling addiction across the country. According to him, working together is needed between the government and private companies if they aim to prevent unhealthy gambling patterns from starting among Filipino youth. Tulfo’s Senate committee is now checking current online gambling policies. Some senators in the committee are expressing their opposition to online gambling, no matter what its legal status is.