BSP's proposed online gambling account (OGTA) for GCash and Maya: the draft rules explained

Draft, not confirmed in force. This page describes a proposal reported in July 2025. We could not confirm a final BSP circular. Check the BSP's website before relying on any detail.

After the BSP told e-wallets in August 2025 to remove in-app gambling links (what changed for GCash and Maya), the question for players is what comes next. The BSP had already circulated a draft circular on online gambling payment services in July 2025. You must be 21+ to gamble.

What the draft proposed

According to GMA News and Philstar (both 14 July 2025):

• A separate online gambling transaction account (OGTA) for each eligible user, with lending options on that platform disabled.
• Transfers into an OGTA limited to 20% of the transaction account's average daily balance per day.
• OGTA use limited to a six-hour window per day, with a 24-hour cooling-off once heavy-use thresholds are reached.
• Enhanced KYC, including facial biometric verification at opening and periodic re-verification.
• Users could disable their OGTA for a chosen number of weeks, and heavy users would see risk and responsible-gaming alerts.
• Providers would get six months to obtain BSP authority and comply; GMA reported proposed penalties of up to ₱100,000 per day for continuing violations and up to ₱1 million per transactional violation.

Feedback was due 25 July 2025 (GMA). Critics quoted by BusinessWorld called the 20% cap a weak deterrent; we have not verified that criticism independently.

What it means for players today

Nothing in the draft changes what a site does for you now. What we can verify is that e-wallets removed in-app gambling links in August 2025, so check the operator's cashier for the methods it supports. See fast withdrawal and minimum deposit checklist, QR and fake GCash page scams, and how to verify a casino. If limits like these are what you need, you can set your own: help and self-exclusion.