Flicking cards, clicking chips, and jangling music. Sounds that pave a path to success, but only chases to less. Hence, it has made a track to the "adjacent compulsion".

In these past few years, online gambling or what some call iGambling, has been exploding on countless social media platforms and websites. It bursts with relentless persuasion of a lot of people, especially preying on Filipinos who are experiencing financial hardships. Some say it's an opener to many opportunities—namely, it has a high risk of attaining sums of money or a way to be part of a workforce in an online casino. But, sometimes I wonder: Can you truly clinch fortune just by wagering money?

Online gambling refers to playing or wagering in online games with a chance of winning sums of money. It is easily accessible by electronic devices such as cellphones, tablets, and computers. It is often chosen more by people because of the convenience and time efficiency that it has.

Based on the study of Pause Before You Play in January 24, 2022, gambling was established in 2300 B.C, mainly to win something more than what was wagered. Up to this day, it has remained the same approach—to win or to lose.

Online gambling has developed into many addictions among individuals, particularly Filipinos. According to rehabilitation centers in the Philippines, spearheaded by Bridges of Hope, in the past few years, they have already handled numerous patients seeking help in addiction, particularly overdosage of drugs, uncontrollable drinking of alcohol, and mental health challenges. Presently, they face patients with an exceptional type of addiction—online gambling.

In these past few months, it has opened up a lot of addictive issues for many Filipinos, but somehow, some Filipinos have opposed this staggering issue. Even lawmakers, particularly Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, have filed a bill seeking an outright ban against online gambling in the Philippines, calling it a "silent epidemic" as it creates and exacerbates financial crises among Filipino families. 

In the present, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has ordered the removal of all online gambling promotional advertisements nationwide. But the "silent epidemic" remains intact as it destroys financial stability in Filipino families.

Moreover, a lot of influencers, content creators, or even celebrities promote the destructive and addictive game of online gambling. In my outlook, people who are teeming with notorious influence should not promote or advertise engagements that may lead many of their followers to unwise decisions.

As they are regarded as role models by many, they possess the ability to influence individuals to engage in what they advertise. Subsequently, notable figures should refrain from promoting destructive engagements like online gambling.

It is my belief that disengaging from addictive activities like online gambling takes time and process, but it does not erase the fact that stopping the strenuous effort that you have worked on will fade to nothing. As we are voices and figures of the future, let's break the silence and empower one another as one society, a trail to the adjacent path towards freedom, free from the chains of addiction.