Rampant Online Betting is Harming Sports’ Essence and Lives

Sports events are meant to entertain the audience and to showcase athletes’ dedication and competitiveness. However, the rise of online sports betting these days is compromising its values, shifting the focus from genuine enjoyment to profit. 

Online sports betting has become increasingly widespread, as its advertisements have reached across various media platforms, with the exposure of the celebrities and influencers who drive their followers’ decision-making.

This rampant promotion leads to unsettling outcomes, including game-fixing and gambling addiction among bettors, damaging the integrity, competitiveness, and enjoyment of sports, as well as the lives of vulnerable people—particularly the low-to-no-income and younger individuals like students, who risk themselves for fun and rewards.

Online Sports Betting on the Rise

Online gambling, which includes online sports betting, started to rise when the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) began to issue licenses for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in 2016. The industry ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which most industries shifted to online due to physical limitations at that time.

In the recent report of PAGCOR, the total revenue of the e-games sector, which includes online sports betting in the Philippines, skyrocketed from PHP 21.66 billion to PHP 48.79 billion in 2024. Data shows that such businesses are becoming more common as they are heavily commercialized in the Philippines.

Sports leagues, like the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), made a partnership with online gambling company BingoPlus in 2022 to improve media engagement and entertainment for PBA fans.

While partnerships and promotions of sports leagues are strategic ways to increase their revenues, the audiences’ genuine interest in the game shifts away.

Diversion of Audiences’ Interest

Online betting sites make gambling more accessible, unlike before when people had to go to gambling places, like sportsbooks. Audiences’ attention shifts to gambling, diverting the interest of the audience into winning a bet rather than appreciating the competitiveness and the fun of the game it brings.

The shift of interest is present in the case of alias "Bane," a 20-year-old student from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) who has been a former online sports bettor. She has often avidly watched National Basketball Association (NBA) games along with her family ever since childhood. She discovered online sports betting through her cousin way back in 2018, only for fun.

“Bane” shared that before she entered sports betting, she rooted for the team they were supporting to win the game. However, her attention to the game changed when she entered sports betting, as she rooted for any team that had a better chance of winning her wager.

“Nu’ng hindi pa ako nagbe-bet sa NBA na ‘yan dati, focus lang namin is manalo yung team na sinu-support namin ganu’n, pero syempre nu’ng natuto na ako mag-bet, mas na focus na du’n sa pagpanalo nu’ng taya.”

Because of the influence coming from her cousin to enter sports betting, she viewed the sport as a way to gain money instantly.

Corruption Inside the Court

The implications of online sports betting also ripple towards athletes and staff. In 2024, the NBA’s former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter intentionally underperformed his game to win a wager and disclosed information to some sports bettors.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver condemned such Porter’s actions, highlighting the importance of securing the integrity of the league. After the investigation, the NBA announced that Porter has been banned from playing in the league for the entire lifetime.

During the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup in 2021, teams Siquijor Mystics and ARQ Builders-Lapu-Lapu Heroes were also involved in game-fixing. After the incident, the local league expelled the Mystics, while game suspensions and fines were imposed on some of the Heroes' players and coaching staff.

Porter, the Mystics, the Heroes, and others involved have lost their integrity and opportunity to show their talent on the court because of greed. These scenarios prove that involving game-fixing wrecks careers and tarnished reputations, killing the competition and sportsmanship in sports.

Protecting the Game and Yourself

Sports are always for showing off people’s athletic skills and talent in the game that gives excitement, and not for mere financial motives. Sports leagues should limit gambling advertising, have habitual investigations, and impose rules against gambling-related corruption.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that gambling, especially when unrestrained, can lead to several health problems, such as mental illness, financial stress, and relationship breakdown. Being aware of the consequences of gambling saves relationships and lives.

At some point, “Bane” stopped online sports betting, as she was aware that it may ruin her life. “Ayokong maadik sa pagsusugal lalo na’t bata pa ako. Also, babae rin ako kaya tinigil ko,” she added. “Oo, mahirap malulong sa sugal, lalo [kung] wala kang work.”

She didn’t neglect her life and her studies, as she knows her limitations and the dangers of gambling addiction. This is why gambling awareness is crucial for everyone, as it prevents individuals from the consequences of addiction and protects their mental health, particularly students like “Bane.”

Instead of waiting for an unlikely win that could cost money, just sit back and enjoy the thrill of the competition with friends and family and save for more essential expenses, like school.

Always keep in mind that excessive gambling ruins lives; there is no shortcut to wealth. By refraining from gambling in sports betting apps, it does not only protect the sports but also your life.