Despite blocking over 50,000 illegal online gambling domains, the Philippines’ Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Centre (CICC) warns that unlicensed platforms continue to thrive via offshore hosting. Officials revealed during a Senate hearing that nearly 97% of these sites sit beyond local jurisdiction.
The “Whack-a-Mole” Enforcement Struggle
CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso explained that rogue platforms “respawn” almost instantly under fresh URLs. Mobile accessibility and digital wallets have made these sites incredibly “sticky” for local players.
Paraiso proposed a novel solution to the Senate:
“Appointing cyber diplomats to build international cybersecurity ties… Expanding treaties to name cybercrime explicitly would smooth cross-border hits on gambling sites.”
Calls for Legislative Muscle
Senator Win Gatchalian pushed for tougher laws that hit operators where domain blocks cannot: their funding and promotional channels. He argued that reactive wipes are insufficient when offshore servers remain untouched.
The CICC maintains that the current Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties are geared toward traditional crimes and lack the digital specifics needed to effectively choke illegal gambling operations. The proposed “Cyber Diplomats” would lobby host nations directly to pressure them into taking down servers targeting Filipino citizens.
