A network of digital advocates has expressed alarm over the growing use of celebrity-driven social media giveaways to promote online gambling platforms, after social media influencer Ivana Alawi published an iphone raffle content promoting an online gambling platform, saying that such marketing strategies exhibit predatory marketing characteristics that warrant immediate review by government regulators and social media platforms.
Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that the issue raises concerns about how gambling companies are expanding their reach through social media.
“This kind of promotion exhibits predatory marketing characteristics. By conditioning a high-value giveaway on following an online gambling page, it incentivizes the expansion of an online gambling operator’s audience, including potential exposure to minors and other vulnerable individuals. This type of promotion normalizes online gambling and should be reviewed by regulators and social media platforms.”
Gustilo warned that this type of marketing is particularly concerning because celebrities often have millions of followers across different age groups, including minors who may be exposed to gambling-related content despite age restrictions imposed by operators.
“The concern is not limited to whether someone immediately places a bet. A giveaway involving one hundred smartphones is designed to maximize participation. The objective is not simply to reward followers but to rapidly increase the audience of a gambling platform. Every new follower becomes a potential recipient of future gambling advertisements, promotional bonuses, and betting-related content.”
Gustilo urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and social media platforms such as Meta to examine whether promotional campaigns that require engagement with gambling-related pages are consistent with responsible advertising standards.
“We are calling for responsible marketing. Promotional campaigns should not incentivize the rapid expansion of gambling audiences through unrelated, high-value prizes that appeal to the general public, especially young people. Social media platforms should ensure that they do not become vehicles for aggressive gambling promotion disguised as entertainment or giveaways. Consumer protection must remain at the center of digital advertising policies.”
