In a bid to appease crusaders and head off calls for a total ban, PAGCOR recently decided to no longer use the euphemism “online gaming” instead of calling it what it really is: online gambling.

It may sound like semantics, but this shift in language matters. The term “gaming” makes it sound fun, harmless, even recreational. But calling it gambling reminds us that this isn’t just entertainment. It’s a high-risk activity with real-world consequences.

Online gambling is more accessible than ever before, and that’s exactly what makes it more dangerous. Let’s talk about why.

8. It’s always open and inviting

For the average person who has never heard of the concept of illegal gambling, their general experience of gambling involves going to a casino. That’s not exactly something you can easily do on a whim, right? Well, compare that to gambling on your phone. Not only is it available for you 24/7, you don’t even have to worry about having to whip out thousands to start playing!

With a press of a button, you could be betting something like a single peso, all in hopes of winning it big. A hundred mindless clicks later, you just spent a hundred bucks. A thousand mindless clicks later, you just spent over a day’s wages for most Filipinos.

7. It takes so little effort

Forget having to dress up and go to the casino. If you’re poorer, you don’t even need to bother with your local kubrador to place a bet. Just whip out your phone, which 7.6 in 10 Filipinos have, and 7 in 10 Filipinos access the internet with, and voila! You are now “online gaming.” It takes so little effort, you don’t even realize how in deep you’re getting.

6. They know exactly how to hook you

Look: they have this down to a science. They know just how much of a dopamine rush those bright lights, sounds, and effects bring to you, and ensure that you will always keep coming back. This is not a dare for you to flex that you can play a few games and walk away. Just like their games of “chance” and the Hunger Games, the odds are ever in their favor, not yours.

5. Losses happen faster — and hurt more

Some slots require you to pull a lever. This one is a lot more like Tinder – you swipe a bunch, and next thing you know, you wasted time, money, and feel even more miserable. The losses add up quickly, and your desire to “make it all back” means you speed-run through your savings. Also, not just your savings…

4. You can spend more money than you even have

A lot of these gambling sites are tied to your digital wallet, or worse, your credit cards. One moment, you’re betting some pocket change, next thing you know, you’re now betting your kid’s tuition without even realizing it.

Because you’re not forking over cold hard cash, your mind tells you you’re losing, but another part of your head is denying that reality, and telling you to keep pushing your luck.

And given that the online gambling industry made 51 Billion Pesos in the first three months of this year alone (compared to it making 58 Billion for the entirety of 2023), that’s a lot of luck that clearly hasn’t gone the player’s way.

3. There’s no human connection

Gambling used to be an extroverted thing- or at least, something introverts have a slightly harder time doing. Now, with no other gamblers, no dealers, no cashiers, and no judgy eyes to contend with, even the most antisocial of people can go on a gambling spree at their convenience. That makes it so much easier to feel detached from the consequences of your actions. And speaking of that…

2. It’s so much easier to hide

Not only did the euphemism of “gaming” confuse your Mobile Legends players with those guys losing their shirt on scatter, the general lack of stigma for online gambling until recently meant that people can be destroying their lives while seated in the dining room with the rest of their family and nobody else around them is any the wiser. And given that the gambler is often the last person to know they have a gambling problem, well, it’s way too late by the time people can actually see the signs.

1. Minors have nearly unfettered access to it

In the West, there is a Gen Z epidemic over sports betting. While this has yet to be the case with our Gen Z, it’s pretty clear that, unlike casinos or even illegal gambling dens, it’s so much easier for kids to get past flimsy age checks done via their phones and the internet. And we all know that the easiest way to make addiction a lifelong issue is to start them as young as possible.

Online gambling is growing faster than most of us realize, and so are the problems that come with it. Whether it’s financial ruin, emotional stress, or relationships falling apart, the impact can be devastating.

What makes it even more troubling is how quietly it happens. Unlike traditional gambling, online platforms allow people to spiral alone, behind closed doors, with no one noticing until it’s too late.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with online gambling, don’t wait. Reach out. You can contact the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline at 1553 (toll-free, 24/7) or the PGH Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at (02) 554-8400 loc. 2311. Help is available. Recovery is possible.