If you used GCash or Maya to play on a gaming site before August 2025, you’ve probably noticed things work differently now. The “Games” shortcuts are gone, and a lot of advice online still describes the old setup. Here’s what actually changed, what didn’t, and what may change next. Updated October 2026.
What the BSP ordered
On 14 August 2025, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued Memorandum M-2025-029. Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan announced it at a Senate hearing (Philstar).
The order told banks and e-wallets to remove, within 48 hours, any product, service, or feature in their apps that sends users to a gambling site. That covers icons, links, and in-app game portals. The BSP said the suspension would stay in place until it finalises its policy on payments for online gambling (Inquirer).
What GCash and Maya did
- GCash switched off gaming access in GLife at 8 p.m. on 16 August 2025. Players with money left on a gaming account were told to manage it through the operator’s own website from then on (Philstar).
- Maya removed gambling links from its Games section at the same time (GMA News).
As of October 2026, those in-app links have not come back. In January 2026, PAGCOR said it was preparing a position paper making the case for the BSP to restore them, but we haven’t seen any decision to do so (Inside Asian Gaming, Jan 2026).
What the order did not do
The order was about links and features inside the apps. None of the reports we read say it made it illegal to use an e-wallet to pay a licensed operator. Senator Win Gatchalian pointed out at the time that people could still reach betting sites directly (Inquirer).
Some licensed operators say they still accept GCash, but only through the cashier on their own official website. Treat that as the operator’s claim. Check the operator’s official site, and make sure the site itself is on PAGCOR’s licensed list before sending anything.
The crackdown on illegal sites
Removing the links pushed a lot of players toward unlicensed sites. PAGCOR’s revenue fell by almost half within weeks (Philstar, Oct 2025), and PAGCOR now estimates that only about half of online betting happens on licensed platforms.
E-wallets have been going after the illegal side:
- In March 2026, GCash said it had suspended 3,200 merchant accounts that were being used for illegal gambling. It worked with the CICC and the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group on this (Fintech News PH).
- In September 2026, the BSP said it had found more than 8,000 “front” merchants taking late-night micro-bets. These looked like salons, bakeries, and small shops, and their accounts have been closed (Inside Asian Gaming).
The practical lesson: if a “casino” asks you to scan a QR code that shows a bakery’s or a person’s name, or to send money to a personal GCash number, stop. GCash’s own advice is that legitimate businesses don’t ask you to pay into personal wallets.
What could change next
Two sets of BSP rules are in the works. As far as we can find, neither is final yet.
Draft rules from 2025. These would require a separate “gambling account” inside your e-wallet (BusinessWorld):
- facial verification to open it
- daily top-ups capped at 20% of your average balance
- a 6-hour daily window to use it
- a 24-hour cooling-off period after heavy use
Draft rules from September 2026. Casinos, online and land-based, could only be signed up as merchants directly by payment providers, with no middlemen in between (SiGMA).
Separately, the DSWD has warned that government cash aid, including 4Ps, must not be used for gambling, and that beneficiaries who misuse it can be removed from the programme (Philstar).
A quick checklist
- Make sure the site is on PAGCOR’s list of licensed domains. A logo on the site isn’t proof.
- Pay only through the cashier page on the operator’s official website.
- Never send money to a personal account, an “agent,” or a QR code under someone else’s name.
- Keep screenshots of every transaction and reference number.
- Report suspicious merchants to GCash (hotline 2882) or to the CICC at 1326.
Related reading: How deposits work on licensed sites · Withdrawals: timing, delays and what to do · Who licenses gambling in the Philippines
Last checked: October 2026. Payment rules are changing quickly, and we update this page when they do.
