PHFUN and the BSP Online Gambling Memorandum M-2025-029
BSP online gambling policy in 2025 was Memorandum M-2025-029: BSP-supervised institutions had 48 hours to remove links that give in-app gambling access from their mobile payment apps and websites.
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BSP online gambling policy changed e-wallet apps in August 2025. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued Memorandum No. M-2025-029, titled “Suspension of In-app Gambling Access in Mobile Payment Apps and Websites”, addressed to all BSP-supervised institutions. This page sets out what the memorandum says and what it means for your wallet.
For the licence side of the same subject, use the PAGCOR list walkthrough.
What the BSP memorandum orders
The memorandum rests on Monetary Board Resolution No. 805 dated 14 August 2025. That resolution approved the suspension of in-app gambling access from BSP-supervised institutions’ mobile payment apps and websites, pending a policy that sets standards for online gambling payment services.
| Part | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Addressee | All BSP-supervised institutions |
| Instruction | Remove links providing in-app gambling access |
| Deadline | Within 48 hours upon issuance |
| Where | Mobile payment apps and websites |
| Definition | In-app gambling access includes any product or service that redirects an account holder to a gaming or gambling site |
| Signed by | Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. |
The memorandum names no casino, and it publishes no list of approved or banned brands.
GCash online gambling link removed: what changed
GCash was one of the institutions the memorandum reached. The rail data on this site records that GCash pulled the GLife Games top-up and withdrawal feature from 16 August 2025. GCash also says it has zero tolerance for illegal gambling operators, and reports blocking about 3,200 merchants that exploited its QR system to redirect users to illegal gambling and scam sites.
What that means for you is a change in where you start. A gambling link inside the wallet app is no longer the route, so read the cashier of the site you play on and the wallet’s own help pages. The GCash casino rail page collects the published limits, fees and gambling notes.
Maya online gambling links after the memorandum
Maya also fell under the memorandum. The rail data records that Maya dropped its in-app gambling and gaming links to comply. Maya’s e-wallet terms carry general prohibitions on illegal activity and anti-money-laundering breaches, while its credit card terms list illegal gambling or an unauthorized game of chance as restricted.
Two different products, two different documents: a limit written into a credit card agreement is not a limit on the wallet. The Maya casino rail page sets the wallet limits and fees side by side.
What did not change
- The memorandum suspends links inside apps. It does not remove your ability to read PAGCOR’s list or to check a domain against it.
- It applies to BSP-supervised institutions, so the rules of each wallet still come from the wallet.
- It says the suspension lasts pending a corresponding policy, so read the BSP’s issuances page for what replaces it.
- It does not change the POGO order; that sits on the online gambling ban page.
Before you fund any play, open the wallet’s help centre, read the current limits, and set a budget you are comfortable losing. Stay 21+.
FAQ
What is BSP Memorandum M-2025-029?
It is a memorandum from the BSP Governor to all BSP-supervised institutions on the suspension of in-app gambling access in mobile payment apps and websites, issued on the basis of Monetary Board Resolution No. 805 dated 14 August 2025.
How long did institutions have to remove the links?
The memorandum instructs removal within 48 hours upon its issuance.
Was the GCash gambling link removed?
GCash pulled the GLife Games top-up and withdrawal feature from 16 August 2025, according to the GCash help article cited on the GCash rail page.
Does the memo say which casinos are legal?
No. It addresses in-app links inside payment apps and websites. To see which brands PAGCOR has accredited, read its published list and match the exact domain.