Poppo Live and 43 Other Illegal Gambling Sites Banned by Telcos
Up to 44 of 52 identified illegal gambling websites are now inaccessible for subscribers of Philippine telecommunications companies, namely: PLDT/Smart, Globe Telecom, Converge ICT, and DITO Telecommunity. This comes amid the government inquiry into illegal gambling operations in the country, specifically flagged platforms disguised as livestreaming or entertainment mobile apps, including Poppo Live, Awaz, Vone, BoloUP, Halla Live, Niki (Nikki Live), Ximi Video Live, Gem Gala, Himme (Hime), and HiCh.
Reports confirm that Poppo Live, BoloUP, Himme (Hime), Vone, and Niki appear offline in the four telco networks. Hala Live and Awaz still show mixed blocking status on PLDT/Smart, but are also already offline for Globe, DITO, and Converge. The directive comes from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), with the support of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) also confirmed that the said platforms were operating without regulatory authority.
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On August 20, 2025, a congressional hearing on online gambling gained momentum when House Majority Vice Chair Representative Brian Poe revealed that eight unregulated online gambling companies, according to his sources, are earning an estimated $50–70 million every month from Filipino users, and thus "should be taxed and given back to the government."
The congressman explained the financial boost to the government budget following the enforcement: "Through the amendments introduced by the Congressional Budget Amendments Review Sub-Committee, an additional P30.5 million for the Cybercrime Complaint Center, P25 million for the Threat Monitoring Center (TMC), and ?121 million for the Cybercrime Response Center (CRC) have been secured. These upgrades expand CRC’s capacity from 6,000 to 27,000 cases annually and enable the TMC to detect up to 7,000 threats each year. By empowering citizens to report through Hotline 1326 and ensuring every complaint is swiftly referred and acted upon, we are now in a
stronger position to crack down on illegal online gambling operations that prey on our communities."
Online Gambling in Legislation
Aside from a crackdown on illegal platforms, lawmakers are also looking at restricting online gambling accessibility. This included the Kontra e-Sugal Act by Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismulla, who proposed to prescribe limits on advertising and promotion, ban campaign contributions from gambling operators, and implement strict penalties for unlicensed operators and non-compliant persons, among others.
In the Senate, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a bill seeking an outright ban on all forms of online gambling. Under the proposed Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025, internet service providers, mobile network operators, and digital platforms are mandated to block access to gambling websites and remove related apps; while digital wallets and payment service providers are barred from facilitating transactions related to online gambling. Senate hearings for the Anti-Online Gambling Act are still ongoing under the Committee on Games and Amusement.
In addition, Senator Risa Hontiveros, during a Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises hearing on September 30, questioned the Government Service Insurance System's billion-peso investment in online gambling company DigiPlus. She cited revelations by state auditors that the move did not comply with existing policies as well as online gambling's negative effects.
"Dito sa Kongreso, papunta kami sa direksyon, at least ng striktong regulasyon kung hindi man total ban sa online gambling. Ayaw ba ng GSIS na unahan ang Kongreso to remove your valuable investment in an area, a policy area, na palayo doon? Doesn't GSIS want to set a good example in this area dahil kayo nga yung stewards ng contributions ng ating mga miyembro?," Hontiveros asked GSIS President Wick Veloso at the Senate panel hearing. GSIS has a P1 billion stake in DigiPlus, which is now flagged by the Commission on Audit to be non-compliant with Republic Act No. 8291, or the GSIS Charter. The company was found to lack a three-year track record and had failed to pay dividends.
Concerned parties are also pushing for the removal of flagged mobile applications from Google Play and Apple Store, as domain restrictions by telcos—while essential—cannot fully block access, especially when the platforms figure out a workaround. There is also an increasing demand for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to enhance payment-blocking measures. Individuals who continue to transact with unlicensed platforms may face criminal liability, according to DICT and CICC.
