GCash, Maya and Online Casinos: Where the BSP Rules Stand in 2026

What changed in August 2025?

On August 14, 2025, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued Memorandum No. M-2025-029. It told banks and e-money issuers to take down in-app links, banners and shortcuts that send users to online gambling sites, and gave them 48 hours to do it.

GCash removed its in-app gaming access on August 16, 2025. Maya switched off its in-app games section around the same time. Both said they were complying with the regulator, not leaving the market for good.

What the order did not do

• It didn't make e-wallets illegal for adults, and it didn't make PAGCOR-licensed gaming illegal.
• It didn't close your e-wallet account or freeze your balance.
• It didn't publish a final rulebook. The BSP described the memo as an interim measure while it prepares tighter rules for gambling-related payments.

As of our November 2026 check, we couldn't confirm a final BSP circular on gambling payments. We'll update this post when one is issued.

So how do players cash in now?

It depends on each site's cashier. Some licensed operators send you to a payment page outside the e-wallet app, and some offer bank transfers or other channels. What a cashier accepts can change week to week while the rules settle, so:

1. Open the cashier inside your own account and see what it lists today.
2. Read your e-wallet's own announcements in the app or on its official pages.
3. Pay only to the merchant shown in the cashier, never to a personal name or number.
4. Keep the reference number and a screenshot of every transaction.

The scam that grew after the order

When the in-app shortcuts disappeared, fake "cash-in agents" moved in. They post in group chats offering to load your casino account if you send money to their personal GCash or Maya. Once you pay, the credits never show up, or show up once to win your trust.

The rule hasn't changed: a real operator never asks you to send money to a person. See our scam alert roundup for the other tricks going around.

Withdrawing to GCash or Maya

Withdrawals follow the same logic in reverse. The account you withdraw to should be in your own name, matching the ID you verified with the site. A name mismatch is one of the most common reasons a payout gets held. Our withdrawal guide covers the others.

Frequently asked questions

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