The BSP e-wallet order of August 2025: what it did and didn't change
Why GCash and Maya removed casino links, what the BSP actually ordered, what still works for deposits, and how the pending e-wallet ban bill differs.
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Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 14, 2025 | BSP directs e-wallets, at a Senate hearing, to unlink gambling platforms within 48 hours. |
| August 16, 2025 | Maya disables its Games links to gambling sites at 8 p.m. |
| August 17, 2025 | GCash completes removal of gambling access from GLife. |
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas · Status: in force (suspension pending final policy)
Draft. Facts and dates sourced; prose to be finalised.
What was ordered
At a Senate Committee on Games and Amusement hearing on 14 August 2025, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) directed e-money issuers to remove icons and links to online gambling platforms from their apps within 48 hours. The reasoning: in-app shortcuts and ads made betting too frictionless, including for small amounts.
What the wallets did
Maya disabled gambling links in its Games feature from 8 p.m. on Saturday 16 August; GCash removed gambling access from GLife by Sunday 17 August. BSP described the suspension as lasting until it finalises a policy on online-gambling payment services.
What it did not do
- It did not make online casino illegal; PAGCOR licences were unaffected.
- It did not, by itself, block transfers from a wallet to an operator’s cashier. Whether a given operator can still accept a wallet deposit depends on the operator’s payment arrangements and the wallet’s own policies — which is exactly what our payments guides test.
How the pending bill differs
A Senate bill filed in July 2025 would go further and ban the use of e-wallets to fund online bets by law, along with a ₱10,000 minimum deposit and a national minimum age of 21. If enacted, the deposit landscape changes again. We will update this page and the payments guides within 48 hours of any such change.
Sources
- GCash, Maya to comply with BSP order to remove online gambling in-app links — Philstar (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Philippine e-wallets remove gambling access following central bank directive — Asia Gaming Brief (accessed October 10, 2026)
- To ban or regulate? Senate probes online gambling in PH — Philippine Daily Inquirer (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Bill seeks to ban online gambling tied to e-wallets — Philstar (accessed October 10, 2026)
- Gatchalian seeks tougher legislation against illegal online gambling — BusinessMirror (accessed October 10, 2026)