Filipinos Are Addicted to Online Gambling. So Is Their Government

The Philippines became Asia’s second-largest gambling hub after Macau last year as online betting proliferated across the archipelagic nation. Almost half of the country’s 69 million working-age population is now registered on gambling apps, an exponential rise from less than half a million users in 2018. The government has become increasingly dependent on the industry.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. collects 30% of gross gaming revenue and has become the…