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In focus
- Why social media can’t quit online gambling ads in the Philippines
- What’s the latest on top Indian tech firms’ layoffs
- How a startup aims to reinvent footwear with its AI-designed shoe
Hello reader,
Metro Manila-based residents would know how, at one point in time, traveling along EDSA, a major highway in the Philippines’ capital region, would not be complete without seeing at least one billboard promoting an online gambling platform.
Ever since the country’s gambling industry regulator sought the total ban of such ads in public spaces, though, I have not come across any – not even on buses or Grab cars where they were once a common sight.
But they’re making their presence felt elsewhere: online. In today’s first Top Story, I talk about how social media platforms have continued to host online gambling ads in the Philippines, despite public backlash against the industry.
This feels jarring for a Filipino who’s always online because while online gambling ads are no longer in public spaces, they still feel very much present in my daily life. I don’t even need to scroll far on X to spot one.
Meanwhile, in India, its government has managed to nip the industry for good.
As noted in our Asia layoff tracker, MPL is slashing 60% of its local workforce. The job cuts stem from the Indian government’s recent ban on “real-money gaming” in the country, which prompted the online gaming unicorn to shut down its division dedicated to the sector this week.
This goes to show that if the government has the political will, it can bare its teeth on harmful industries, no matter the cost.
Elyssa Lopez, journalist
Top Stories
1️⃣ PH regulators scroll past online gambling ads on social media
X still prominently hosts online gambling ads. / Image credit: Tech in Asia
Philippine regulators have already banned online gambling ads on e-wallets and super apps in the country, but social media platforms remain scot-free. Meta, Google, X, and Rakuten Viber still prominently host such ads as regulation against the industry remains pending.
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