The Philippine Department of Health has recently officially classified "online gambling addiction" as a national mental health crisis, sparking widespread social concern. The latest data shows that about 66% of gamblers nationwide are aged between 18 and 40, and the proportion of teenagers involved in gambling is also rising. In response, senior psychologist Dr. Jhon Carandang publicly called on the government to completely ban online gambling during the "#BeautifulDay" mental health advocacy event, to protect teenagers from addiction.
Dr. Carandang stated that he is currently treating two teenagers, aged only 15 and 17, for gambling addiction issues. Their parents previously mistook their addiction for a mere obsession with ordinary online games. "This generation of children is accustomed to playing games online, and parents are completely unaware. But once these platforms connect to electronic wallets, children may start betting and losing money unconsciously," he said.
He emphasized that the harm of online gambling does not discriminate by social class or age. Once the gateway is opened, anyone can fall deeply into it. "I am not a legal expert, but merely setting limits is far from enough. As long as the platforms exist, there will always be loopholes to exploit. Only a complete ban on online gambling can truly cut off the public's access," he remarked.
He further pointed out that today's teenagers are at the most critical stage of developing their values and personalities. Early exposure to gambling can easily lead them astray. "As a father, I find it hard to accept that my child was gambling at the age of 15. What has happened to our society? Where has character education gone?" he questioned.
What is even more worrying, he noted, is that gambling addiction is not just an individual issue, but may also reflect the decay of the entire system. "When a person starts lying and deceiving others to continue gambling, it is not just an addiction issue, but a problem with the entire social mechanism," he explained.
Currently, the Philippines is brewing new regulations against online gambling. Although it is not yet clear whether it will move towards a complete ban, experts generally believe that only by completely blocking the entry to online gambling can the government have a chance to truly protect the youth and prevent society from falling into a deeper gambling crisis.
