What the Philippine Gambling Industry Can Learn from the Alcohol Industry's Playbook

The Philippine gambling industry has faced many of the same issues the alcohol sector encountered many decades ago: cultural integration, regulatory credibility, and commercial growth. However, the Philippine alcohol industry has had more success in meeting its challenges than the gambling industry.

Given the similarities, the gambling sector can learn a lot from alcohol’s playbook.

History

The Philippines already had alcohol before Ferdinand Magellan landed in the country in 1521.

Alcohol was deeply tied to ancestral rituals, celebrations, and community bonding. During U.S. Prohibition, the Philippines (then a U.S. territory) was not subject to the alcohol ban. Manila became a destination for Americans seeking a legal drink, because breweries like San Miguel continued operating.

Today, alcohol remains central to Filipino social culture. It is present in fiestas, nightlife, and family gatherings. It is both a cultural marker and an economic driver.

Gambling is not so different.

Indigenous pre-colonial Filipino communities also engaged in gambling as part of social and ritual life. It was woven into celebrations, harvest rituals, and community socialising. This included betting on animal contests like cockfights and water buffalo races, physical competitions such as wrestling, and games played with dice or cards.

When the Spanish colonisers arrived, one of the things they introduced was lotteries, more card and dice games, and structured betting systems. During the American colonial period, the U.S. gave the Philippines horse racing, jai-alai, and casinos.

Today, gambling is a major contributor to the Philippines’ national coffers. It is one of the largest single sources of non-tax government revenue.

The General Perception of Alcohol and Gambling

While alcohol and gambling share parallel histories, traits, and challenges, they are perceived in strikingly different ways.

In the Philippines, when someone is an alcoholic, it is the person who has the problem. But when someone has a gambling problem, it is the operator that is the issue.

There are two main reasons for this:

• First, alcohol is deeply woven into the Philippines’ cultural traditions and community life, making it more socially accepted. Gambling is also embedded but does not enjoy the same level of social acceptance.

• Second, the harms associated with alcohol differ significantly from those linked to gambling, both in nature and in impact.

For the most part, alcohol’s negative effects are diffused and long term. They accumulate across society, often invisible until they show up in public health data or generational trends. The government treats alcohol as a general pain point because its impact is broad, systemic, and slow burning. By contrast, gambling’s negative effects are felt directly and quickly. The pain is acute, highly visible, and often forces immediate intervention.

While both industries have a negative impact, it is immediately apparent that the alcohol industry is generally perceived more favourably by the public compared to the gambling industry. This is in large part due to how the alcohol industry has managed public perception over the decades.

What Can Be Learned from the Alcohol Industry’s Playbook

The Philippine alcohol industry manages its general perception through a deliberate, layered strategy. This strategy, in general, sits on three pillars:

• First is Cultural Branding and Embedding. Major players in the industry frame alcohol as part of Filipino tradition using storytelling tied to national identity and community experiences. This creates emotional resonance, which means it does not need to push aggressively all the time because the cultural association does much of the work.

• Second is Economic Emphasis and Shielding. The alcohol industry constantly highlights its role in job creation, tax revenue, and sponsorships of sports and cultural events. It continually positions itself as a vital contributor to the economy and a community partner rather than a public health threat.

• Third is National and Local Government Alignment. Alcohol industry leaders understood very early that survival depended on maintaining close ties with legislators, regulators, and politicians. They invested in those relationships, lobbied against restrictive laws, and reinforced their influence through partnerships.

The result was an environment in which alcohol remained widely accessible to consumers within a regulated framework that safeguarded public interests. At the same time, it allowed the industry to remain profitable in a way that was both sustainable and responsible, balancing economic growth with social accountability.

Real-World Impact

Alcohol companies’ presence in everyday life in the Philippines feels not only natural but also expected.

In key cities, alcohol advertising and marketing remain regulated but present. In the countryside, alcohol is a fixture in most celebrations. When disasters strike, alcohol companies are often among the first to provide aid and assistance. They sponsor sporting events, provide scholarships, and contribute in meaningful ways to the community.

Outside advertising and marketing, the alcohol industry plays a proactive role in shaping its narrative. Thus, it is seen not merely as a seller of products but also as a contributor to nation-building and a community partner.

Conclusion

As an industry, the Philippine gambling sector should take a leaf out of the alcohol industry’s playbook. The ability to control its narrative is essential not only for survival but also for sustainable, long-term success.

This is not something the gambling industry can achieve overnight. It will take careful planning, considerable resources, and consistent execution.

Nevertheless, it is a goal worth pursuing.

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About the author

Jonas Diego is a Philippine-based executive with over 26 years of experience across iGaming, BPO, and creative services, having led operations for global brands including Entain, BetMGM, and Amused Group. He has direct experience navigating PAGCOR regulatory frameworks, establishing PAGCOR-compliant SCBPO operations from the ground up, and representing a gaming company during a PH Senate inspection. He now advises iGaming and gaming-adjacent companies on market entry, regulatory compliance, and operations setup across the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

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References

Acabado, S. (2025, May 4). A drunk history of the Philippines. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/time-trowel-drunk-history-philippines/

Amul, G. G. (2023, October 16). The Philippines’ blind spot for alcohol. Think Global Health. https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/philippines-blind-spot-alcohol

Georgieff, H. (2024, May 6). The complete history of gambling and betting in Philippine culture. Casino Compare Blog. https://www.casinocompare.ph/the-origins-of-gambling-in-the-philippines/

Kramer, P. A. (2006). The blood of government: Race, empire, the United States, and the Philippines. University of North Carolina Press.

Local Histories. (n.d.). Historical roots of gambling and betting in the Philippines. Local Histories. https://localhistories.org/historical-roots-of-gambling-and-betting-in-the-philippines

McCoy, A. W. (2009). Policing America’s empire: The United States, the Philippines, and the rise of the surveillance state. University of Wisconsin Press

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