The Relationship of Consumer Attitude and Government ...

Communicare : Journal of Communication Studies Volume 8 No. 2, December 2021, p 146 - 164 P-ISSN: 2089-5739, E-ISSN: 2502-2091 DOI : https://doi.org/10.37535/101008220215 http://journal.lspr.edu/index.php/communicare

CONTACT Alexis Devera Lamoste. Institut Komunikasi dan Bisnis LSPR. Sudirman Park, Jl. Jendral Sudirman No.Kav. 32, RW.2, Karet Tengsin, Kecamatan: Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, 10250. [email protected] ARTICLE HISTORY Submitted: October 2021, Accepted: November 2021, Published: December 2021

TheRelationshipofConsumerAttitudeandGovernmentRegulationsTowardsOnlineGamblingBehaviorinThePhilippinesAlexisDeveraLamoste1,YulianaRianaPrasetyawati21,2InstitutKomunikasidanBisnisLSPR,Jakarta,Indonesia

INTRODUCTIONIthasbeensaidthatlifeisonebiggamble.Soonerorlater,apersonhastomakeaveryimportant decision in his life, and he must weigh his options carefully. His successdependsonmaking the rightdecision.That’s a gamblebecausemuchof the future isuncertain,somethinglikewhathappensinthegamblingworld.Gamblingisconsideredasoneofthefastestwaytoearnmoney.It’sbeensoheavilymarketedandnormalizedandavailable indifferent shapes and forms– it’s everywhere.Gambling is anactivitythatinvolvesanybettingorwagering,forselforothers,whetherformoneyornot,no

ABSTRACT The Philippine gambling industry, and particularly online gaming, has recentlyemerged as a major driver of the country’s economy. The rise of thiscontroversialindustryhasbecomeacauseofconcernformanyFilipinocitizens.Forthepasttwodecades,BusinessProcessOutsourcing(BPO)hasbeenamajordriver of the Philippine economy. However, a new sector of the economy hasemerged that appears poised to take over traditional BPOs: online gambling.Withtheemergenceofonlinegambling,anycitizencansimplylogintoawebsiteandtheycanplaytheusualcasinogameslikepoker,roulette,andslotmachinesorevensportsbetting.Onlinegamblingisjustlikehavingawalletinyourpocketright now and just waiting for the money to come in, you just pull out yourcellphoneandyougamblealreadyrightaway,thateasy.Technically,engaginginonline gambling is legal unless operated by a Philippine-licensed offshorecompany.Unlikeothercountries, thePhilippinesdoesnothavestrictmandatesagainst gambling. The research aims to cover if consumer attitude andgovernment regulations are significantly proportion with the effect of onlinegambling behavior. Adding to that, the researcher has added an interveningvariable which is promotional ads if it has a direct impact adopting onlinegambling behavior. By using a quantitative analysis, the study recorded 100respondentsresidinginthePhilippinesandstudyingtheiropiniontowardsthisnewaddictivebehaviorrelatingtomoney.Thematerialsandresourcescollectedhave concluded that consumer attitude and government regulations havesignificantimpacttowardsthisunlikelybehavior,whilepromotionaladsremainirrelevant.

KEYWORDS Online Gambling, Government Regulations, Philippines

The Relationship Of Consumer Attitude And Government Regulations Towards Online Gambling Behavior In The Philippines | Alexis Devera Lamoste

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matter how slight or insignificant, where the outcome is uncertain or depends onchance or skill (Gamblers Anonymous, 2000; McCormick & Cohen, 2007). Led bycasino’sandslotmachines, therearemoreandmore typesofgamblingproducts thatarewidelyspreadwiththesuccessoftheirmarketingcampaign.

Figure1.Roman-eradice

Source:(ScienceAlert,2018)

There have been some beliefs that some form of gambling and game of chance havealwaysbeenpresentsincetheearlyperiod.Researchershavediscoveredthefirstcube-shapeddicedatingbackto3000BCandsomethingcalledastragalomancy,whichusedthediceasatooltopredictthefutureandspiritualcertaintruths.By500BCdicegamesand other forms of gambling had become all the rage in Greek, Roman and Egyptianculture. However, the government in Rome wasn’t exactly behind this trend andimposedstrictfinesforanyonecaughtgambling.Citizensweresoactiveonplayingthattheycameupwiththeideaforgamblingchipsastheystartedplayingwithfakemoneyandplayerscouldlatersettletheirdebts,thereforeauthoritiescouldn’tpenalizethem.Accordingto(Starr,2018),Roman-eradice,theresearchersfound,wereamesswhenitcametoshape.Theyweremadefromavarietyofmaterials,suchasmetal,boneandclay,andnotwowereshapedentirelyalike.Manywerevisiblylumpyandlopsided,withthe1and6onoppositesidesthatweremorelikelytorollup.Overthedecades,Chinacontinuedtoinventnewgamesandgamblingonlyincreasedinpopularity.Gamblinghouseswereeverywhereandprovidedasourceofentertainmentthatpeoplecouldn’tseemtoresist.Earlyversionsofmoderngamblingarebelievedtobeactiveasearlyas14thcentury.ThefirstversionofgamesthatarestillbeingplayedtodaybegantoappearacrossEurope.Baccarat is theearliestrecordedgamethatyoucanplayincasinosacrosstheworldtoday.ThistwoplayergamecertainlyevolvedoverthecenturiesasitmadeitswayfromItaly,FranceandBritaintoCubaandfinallytotheUS.Upuntiltoday,thisgameiswellknowninlightofthefactthatitincludeshighstakes

Alexos Devera Lamoste | The Relationship Of Consumer Attitude And Government Regulations Towards Online Gambling Behavior In The Philippines

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andmakesforagreatspectatorsport.Guestscancheerontheplayerastheytrytobeatthe bank and win huge pots. While China had been home to gambling houses forcenturiesandgamesofchancewereplayed inthestreetsandhomesofpeopleacrosstheworld,whatisconsideredthefirstcasinoopeneditsdoorsin1638inItaly.ThetermCasino has Italian origins and roughly translates to summerhouse or social club. TheRidotto introducedto thepublicorreferredtoasa“Privateroom”wheregambling ispresent.ThenamecamefromtheItalianword"ridurre",whichmeans"toforce"or"toreduce".ItwasestablishedbytheItaliantotryandregulateandtoprovideacontrolledgambling environment. However, due to its high stakes and formal dress code, onlynoblescouldaffordtoplayatthecasino’stables.As time goes by and togetherwith the advancement of technology, gambling has hitsomemajormilestones.Gamblingbegantorepresentarealbigbusinesswhencasinosstarted to be attended also by less wealthy classes. Sabbadin (2017) supported thatgambling was in fact considered both as an entertainment for nobles and as way tochallengethefateforpoorerpeople,inordertoincreasetheirlivingconditionandtheirstatus.Backin1700’s,thefirstroulettewheelappearedinParis,whilein1800’s,themodernversionofpokerbeganbeingplayedinNewOrleansandeventuallyfounditswaytoLasVegas. Around 1970’s, poker tournaments started becoming more popular andeventuallytransformedintothehighlycompetitivegameitistoday.Slotmachineswasalsoapartofhistoryasitwasintroducedin1970’s.IntheU.S,gamblingbecamelegalinthestateofNevadaasearlyas1930’sservingthecityofLasVegastobetheMeccaofgambling.However,theUnitedStatesdecidedtolegalizegamblingonsomestatesduetoTheGreatDepressionaround1970’s.Goodman(1995)addedthatbecauseLasVegasheld a monopoly on casino gambling for such a long time, it was able to reap thebenefitsoftouristswhospenttheirmoneyinthecity’scasinos,hotels,restaurants,andshops.Onceseenasillegal,immoral,ordisreputable,gamblingisoftenseentodayasaformofrecreationand,attimes,evenasasourceofincome.Formsofgamblinghaveacommoncore–thechanceofwinningsomethingofgreatervaluethantheamountstaked–butdiffer in terms of structural characteristics (Parke, Parke, & Blaszczynski, 2016).Furtherclarificationishelpfulinunderstandinghowgamblingactivitiesaredefinedindifferent situations. Commercial gambling advertising is everywhere – in magazines,busshelters,subways,andonradio,television,andtheinternet.Theprevalenceoftheseads assures that youth will be exposed to them, and may have an effect on earlygamblingexperiences(Skinner,Biscope,Murray,Korn,2004).CommercialGamblingisa formal,regulatedstyleofgamblingthat includesavarietyofgamblingtypessuchascasinos, video lottery terminals, lottery tickets, horse racing, and legal sports betting,among others. Commercial gambling is characterized by an unequal relationshipbetweenthegamblingproviderandthegamblers:asagroup,thegamblersalwayslose



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money to the provider. Private gambling depends your chance of winning or losingthrough chances and skills. It includes betting on card games such as poker amongfriends, or betting on sports results with colleagues at the office, unlike commercialgambling,money isredistributedwithinthegroup.Recreationalgambling isgamblingfor leisure, recreation, or entertainment purposes and in low-risk and/or controlledsituations.Often times thesegamblersarecalledsocialgamblersdonot tend to incurlasting life problems from gambling. The five most common motivations amongrecreational gamblerswere found to bewinning, exploration, excitement, beingwithfriendsandbeingwithsimilarpeople(Platz&Millar,2001).Illegalgamblingrepresentsyet another group of gambling activities. Popular forms of illegal gambling, such asbookmaking on sports and horse races, underground casinos, and numbers running.Likecommercialgambling,illegalgamblingischaracterizedbyanunequalrelationshipbetweenprovidersandplayers.Unlikecommercialgambling,illegalgamblingprovidersarenotconstrainedby lawsorregulations topaywinnersor tocollectdebts throughlegitimateavenues.InnovationofGamblingTheInternethasexpandedinto—andinsomecases,reshaped—almosteveryrealmofmodernlife.Gamblingisnodifferent,whenpublicandcommercialuseoftheInternetbeganinearlyandmid-1990s,itsoonbecameapparentthatthiscouldalsobeamediumused for gambling. Throughout the years gambling has evolved heavily and has beeninnovated parallel to technology which can now be accessed by the use of mobilephones.EuropeanCommission(2011)statedthatthecurrentproliferationof Internetgambling and other platforms, such as mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, andInternet protocol television, among other devices, has also raised the awareness ofpublic policy makers and other gambling-related stakeholders, who have furtherexpressed concern regarding the difficulty in controlling and/or surveying Internetgambling.WhenaskedaboutadvantagesofgamblingontheInternetversusgamblinginland-basedvenues,Internetgamblerstypicallyciteaccessibilityandconvenientaccess(Gainsbury, Wood, Russell, Hing, & Blaszczynski, 2012). Being highly demanded toseveral countries, gambling has had its fair share in terms of their revenue. Internetgamblingsitesremainwidelyaccessibleandpromisinglyprofitable.Onlinegamblingisaboutbettingsomeentry,usuallymoneybasedontheresultoftheplayedgame.Ascanberealizedfromitsname,theuserplaysthegameonline.Therearedifferenttypesofonline gambling. Some of them include online Poker, slots, online casino, lotteries,sportsbettingandotherkindofgames.Withthedevelopmentoftechnologyandaccessto the internet, the popularity of online gaming also increased. To conclude, thetechnologyof todaymakes gamblingpossible fromalmost any location, ranging fromthebedroomtothebathroomandevenoutdoors.



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Figure2:GrossGamingRevenue

Source:Statista,2020

Statista (2020) have provided the latest Gross Gaming Yield until 2019. GGY simplymeans the income after its payout to the customers or players. Gross gambling yielddoesnottakeintoconsiderationthecostsofthebusiness-staffwages,restaurantandbarstock,advertisingandsimilarexpenses.Itisthetotalofallmoneypaidtothecasinoor online betting by players as bets, minus the payout made to those players aswinnings. The high internet penetration and increasing use ofmobile phones amongindividualsforplayingonlinegamesfromtheirhomesandpublicplacesaredrivingthemarket. In addition, factors such as easy access to online gambling, legalization andcultural approval, corporate sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements are alsocontributingtomarketgrowth.AccordingtoBridgetSand(2017)--chairIAGRtrusteeandpatron:

Globally, the legal age to gamble follows the age ofmajority, butwith awiderrangeofpermittedages(16to25)acrossjurisdictionsandmarkets.Withrespectto foreign investment (in betting and land-based/online casinos) there are norestrictionsinmostjurisdictions(59%).

GamblinginthePhilippinesThe South-East Asian cluster of islands known as the Philippines are now one of theregion’smostpopulardestinationsforgambling.GamblingisverybiginthePhilippineswhichmakes it a very interesting and relativelynewmarket for online gambling andstarting to look like a formidable rival to the nearby gambling tourist trap ofMacau.Gambling in the Philippines is generally restricted by government laws. Historically,Sabong(cockfighting)hasbeenapopularpast-timeinthePhilippines,withbothlegalandillegalmatchestakingplaceonaregularbasis-fanscangambleonthelegaleventsusing a number of specialist websites licensed by distinct regions. Though online



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gamblingislegalinthePhilippines,mostoftheadvertisementscanonlybeseeninsidethe casino or at hotels. Sponsoring certain events is one way of promoting onlinegaming websites in the Philippines. These sponsors are greatly active during bigsporting events. Then there are private promotions that include sending emails torandom people by giving them bonuses & marketing promotions that would ledFilipinos fall prey to the online gambling market. Online gambling became such apopular market in the Philippines in a short period of time. There are no lawsprohibitingonlinegamblinginparticular,thereforelegal.AccordingtoASEANBriefing(2017),

The Philippines has two distinct regions where it handles all online gamblingactivities.ThePhilippineAmusementandGamingCorporation(PAGCOR)controlthemajorityofthePhilippineswheregamblingiscontrolledbytheGovernmentownedPAGCOR.PAGCORoperatestheirland-basedcasinos,andbettingoutletsacrossthecountry.ThesecondregionistheCagayanEconomicZoneAuthority(CEZA) and Freeport which most people just call “Cagayan Freeport.” This isbasedmainlyat theManilaEntertainmentComplexnext toManilaBay.This istheonlyareainthePhilippinesnotundercompletecontrolofPAGCOR.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and First CagayanResort and Leisure corporation oversees all gambling activity in the country. Theseagencies were put into place to help combat illegal gambling activities as well aspromote a safe experience for players in the area. The law does not simultaneouslymakeitacrimeforFilipinoplayerstoplacebetsonline,henceplayersarefreetoengagein legal online casino gambling from offshore gambling sites. Gambling business isattached to PAGCOR and is the only organization franchised by the government toutilizecasinoswithinthecountry.Majorityofitsservicesconsistoftablegamesandslotmachines.Nowadays It alsooffers internet gaming, internet sportsbetting, andbingoandslotmachinedemounits.InternationallyrecognizedgameslikeBaccarat,BlackJack,Roulette,Craps,Big&Small,Pai Gow Poker, Stud Poker, Pontoon, and Super 6 are available in its Casino Filipinobranches.Alongsidewithtablegamesandslotmachines,PAGCORhasalsoexpandeditsoperationstoincludetheconductandregulationofbingogamesasitexpandstheimageofCasinoFilipinofromagamingvenueintoawholesomeentertainmentforthewholefamily.WiththegamblingindustryinthePhilippinescurrentlyflourishing,itisnotoutsidetherealm of possibilities that the laws may evolve to expand the online gamblingopportunitieswithintheislandregion,however,therehavenotbeenanymovesinthisdirection thus far.While thePhilippineAmusementandGamingCorporation(Pagcor)prohibits offshore gaming licenses from offering services and allowing access toFilipinos, unlicensedgamblingwebsites fromother countries are just as accessible as



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other regularwebsites.Finding theseonlinegamblingwebsiteshavebecomeeasy forFilipinos nowadays as they can just do a simple research on internet and look forcompanies allowing Philippines to access and play on their gambling websites.Hundredsofgamingsitesareavailableontheinternet,amplifiedbyadvertisementsthatdraw people of all ages to try and gamble. Tech Addiction (n.d.) expressed thatGambling is no exception and is just another activity that no longer requires a tripoutsideone'sresidence.Today,gamblerscanplayblackjack,poker,slots,roulette,andanyothergameofchancefromthecomfortoftheirownhomes.Attitude of Filipinos towards gambling is very much the same to other countries.Filipinosrelyonthechanceofwinninglittletohugeamountsmoreoften.Losingtheirbets won’t hold them back from playing, in fact, most Filipinos will be anxious toretrieve their losses without realizing how much money have been wasted. Onlinegamblinghasbecometheirelectronicwalletandwaitforthemoneytocomeineasilybybetting. One attitude of Filipinos falling to gambling addiction is desperation. Thementalityofacommongamblersalwaysthinkthatgambling iseasymoney.Gamblingbecame a channel for Filipinos to earn extra income and to have flexibility with thenecessities and gives them thepleasure to obtain theirwants on a regular basis. ThedesiretoexperiencethrillsandentertainingatmosphereofthegamblingscenesharesagreatfactortoFilipinosaswell.HugeamountofpayoutsbooststheirsocialstatusandthiswilllureFilipinosfurthertocontinueplayinguptothepointwheretheywillmaketimeunconsciouslyandlosetrackoftheimportantthingsthatneedstobefulfilled.Thiswould lead to uncontrollable gambling habit which makes them restless or showsirritabilitywhentheycutdownorstopgambling.OnlinegamblingismoreconvenienttoFilipinosbecausetheycaneasilyplaceabetwherevertheyareaslongastheyhaveinternet. Features of Internet gambling may undermine the ability for gamblers tomaintaincontrol,suchasitsincreasedavailabilityandaccessibility,theabilitytoengagein high speed and uninterrupted play, convenient online payment methods, andgamblinginprivate(Wardle,Moody,Griffiths,Orford,&Volberg,2011).Evangelista&Rivas(2018)expressedthat,

There are currently no available data on the number of Filipinos addicted toonline gambling activity, due to its mobile nature and the lack of legaljurisdiction in the country, however, psychologists and rehabilitationprofessionalsbelievethatthereareanumberofFilipinossufferingsilently.

EffectsofGamblingGambling is not just about money, you may encounter having an unusual gamblingbehavior without being totally out of control. Gambling addiction also known aspathologicalgambling,compulsivegamblingorgamblingdisorderisanimpulse-controldisorder.Problemgamblingisanygamblingbehaviorthatdisruptsyourlife. Problemgamblingreferstothesituationinwhichaperson'sgamblingactivitygivesrisetoharmtotheindividualplayer,and/orhisorherfamily,andmayextendintothecommunity



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(Dickerson,McMillen,Hallebone,Volberg,Woolley.1997,p.2.).Fromdomesticviolence,crimes, to addiction, family breakdowns, and even worse, suicides. These gambling-relatedharmsare thenegative impact fromgamblingon thehealthandwell-beingofevery individual, families and the society itself.With all being said about theharmfulacts of gambling, we can categorize them into three possible effects which is health,relationship,andresources.In terms of health, harm relates to psychological effect (such as disgrace, guilt,shameful), mental health conditions (anxiety and depression) and in some casesincludessuicidalbehavior.Thisgreatlyharmsthefamilyandanycloserelatedperson.Regardingrelationships, itmayverywellresulttobreak-upsorseverancetrustissuesaswellasreducingemotionalandfinancialstabilityonhouseholds.Youcaneasilyseethesignsofacertainindividualifhisorhermindisalreadycorruptedwiththeeffectscaused by gambling by lack of focus and not having the energy to function or react.While resources generate harm through work place by underperforming and beingunproductive resulting to failure in excellence. There is a further range of relatedconsequences, some concerning material impacts such as housing instability, othersconcerninglossofopportunitiesandfuturewell-being.There’s always that level of personal responsibility and personal accountability notpartnered with the correct product information and social environment. While mostpeopleenjoyanyformofgamblingthatprovidesthemfundandentertainment,othersmayexperiencedisruptiveandaddictivehabit.Gamblingalwayssetsuppeopleforfailureandgivingshameontopofthemwhentheydosomething that themachine, card tables, etc. areactually intentionallydesigned todo. Everyone has the consent to play, but at the same time, they are unaware of thementalmanipulation. The perception that gambling can cause harm to gamblers andadversely impact society has led to the convergence of strong socio-political forcesdesignedtoreverse,restrictormoderategamblingactivityinthecommunity.Overthepastdecade,theuseofcomputersandtheInternethassignificantlyalteredthegambling landscape. With the innovation of modern technology, access to gamblingactivitiescanbeachievedwithahandfulofgadgetsofjustbyusingthecomputerwithafew strokes. With this phenomena, there could be a special kind of intelligence forthinking about risk and uncertainty. Many governments include considerations ofharms related to Internet gambling in their legislative efforts.Nonetheless, theuseofInternetgamblinganditsuniquecontributiontogambling-relatedproblemsislimited.Initial prevalence studies that included Internet gambling suggested that the rates ofgamblingproblemsaresignificantlyhigherinpopulationsofonlinecomparedtoland-based gamblers (Griffith, Wardle, Orford, Sproston, & Erens, 2011). Gamblingengagementisanimportantpredictorofgambling-relatedharmsorfamilyfailures.Theoverallaimof this research is toexplore the influences toeachgambleronhowtheir



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thoughtsbecamepreoccupiedtoallowonlinegamblingtobeapartoftheirdailyhabit.With the collective effort in this study, this can administer strong analytical skills tosome degree how we can reverse the losing mindset to a sense of control overuncertainty.Gamblingisamatterofluckastheysay,butsometypesofgamesdoesn’trequireanyluckbutratheroffertheopportunitytoexerciseskillandexpertise,andthisexpertisecanmakethembecomeveryrich.Bystudyingthewaythesegamblersthink,thisresearchcanhighlycontributealotabouthowtopreventanindividualsufferfromonlinegamblingaddiction.This studywill focuson theemotional andpsychologicalbehaviorofonlinegamblersandtodeterminetheprocessandmechanismsthatmayleadthemtogambleonline.Byusing quantitative approach on gamblers, the research will help us measure theiraddictionandtheircravingtowinonsomething.Afewinformationfromthecountry’sregulationarealsoinvolveinthisresearchtohelpusunderstandhowonlinegamblingcompaniesoperateandopenmarketsinthePhilippines.ThemajorityofthestudywillrevolvearoundthePhilippineswithatleast3yearsofexperiencefromonlinegambling.Lastly, theresearchwill requiresurvey toan individualwithgamblingexperiences toexplainfurthertheoverallcyclefromthebeginninguptothecurrentstatusthatresultstoonlinegamblingbehavior.METHODThe paradigm that will be used in this research is Positivism. Positivism stronglysatisfiesthequalitiesofdoingresearchaboutthismatter.Itconsistsofverificationandexperimentalstudiesastohowthesehugeandgrowingcompaniesbrandthemselvestoopenamarketonaspecificcountry.Weallknowthatgamblingismostlyprohibitedinmanycountries.Withthatbeingsaid,thesecompaniesportrayedtheattitudeofbeingontologicalaskingthemselveshowtothingschangeovertime.Survey analysis is the most fundamental tool for all quantitative researchmethodologies and studies. Surveys are usually used to ask questions to a sample ofrespondents,usingvarioustypessuchassuchasonlinepolls,onlinesurveysandpaperquestionnaires.TheresearchusedSurveyonactivegamblersaroundthePhilippines.Bymeansof carryingout survey research, a groupofpeople canbe askedwithmultiplesurveyquestions,collectdatafromapoolofcustomersandanalyzethiscollecteddatato produce numerical results. The approach is intended to be accessible to andinformativeforabroadaudience.Theresearcherwillusecross-sectionalsurveyforanalyticalpurposesofdatacollection.Across-sectionalstudycanbehelpfulindetermininghowmanypeopleareaffectedbyacondition and whether the frequency of the occurrence varies across groups orpopulationcharacteristics(Hamed,2015).



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Inacross-sectionalstudy, theresearchermeasures theoutcomeandtheexposures inthestudyparticipantsatthesametime.Theparticipantsinacross-sectionalstudyarejust selectedbasedon the inclusion and exclusion criteria set for the study.Once theparticipants have been selected for the study, the investigator follows the study toassess theexposureand theoutcomes(Dermatol,2016).This typeof researchcanbeusedtodescribecharacteristicsthatexistinacommunity,butnottodeterminecause-and-effectrelationshipsbetweendifferentvariables.Cross-sectionalsurveyoftenallowsthe researcher to look at numerous characteristics at once and is used to look at theprevailingcharacteristicsinagivenpopulation.In this research, the eligibility criteria in this study is that the participants should beresidinginthePhilippines.Tocalculatethesamplesize,weneedtoknowwhatLevelofconfidence we will use and Margin of error that we can accept while the EstimatedProportionwillbeatdefaultof50%.UsingCochran’sformulatodeterminethesamplesize, a subset of 100 respondents will be given survey questions selected out of theentire population of the Philippines. To explain further, the researcher used a 15%marginoferrorthatwillgiveus30asthesamplesizefollowingtheformulaabove.Sampling technique used for this study was purposive sampling, which is judgmentsampling.ThecriteriaforselectingtherespondentsareadultsthatarewellexperiencedwithonlinegamblingresidingwithinthePhilippines.ThisinvolvesascreeningprocesswhereaseriesofquestionsareaskedwiththeirGender,Age,Location,Education, JobIndustry,Yearsofdoingonlinegambling,bet frequencyandDaily spendingononlinegambling.Aquestionnaireisdefinedasadocumentcontainingquestionsandothertypesofitemsdesigned to solicit information appropriate to analysis (Babbie, 1990:377).Questionnaire is equally used in survey research, experiments and other modes ofobservation. Likert Scaling (Summative) design will be used to answer thequestionnaire. It is the arrangement of opinions from extreme negative to extremepositive. According to McLeod (2014), Likert scale was devised in order to measure‘attitude’inascientificallyacceptedandvalidatedmanner.MostLikertscaleshavefivepossiblechoices:twopositive,twonegative,andaneutral,orundecided.This,however,presentssomeproblems.Thompson(2018)haveexpressedthatasix-pointscaleforceschoice,givingtheresearcherabetterdata,and,ifatanypointaneutralisdesired,the“slightlyagree”and“slightlydisagree”canbeaveragedtogether. Thescalewillbeasfollows:1=StronglyDisagree2=Disagree3=SlightlyDisagree4=SlightlyAgree



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5=Agree6=StronglyAgree Inordertohaveourresearchtobeofanyuse,thedatamustpossesscertainpropertieslike reliability and validity that ensure unbiased, accurate, and authentic results.Reliability and validity are concepts used to evaluate the quality of research. Theyindicatehowwellamethod,techniqueortestmeasuressomething.Tavakol&Dennick(2011)also supported that theseare important concepts inmodern research, as theyare used for enhancing the accuracy of the assessment and evaluation of a researchworkReliability isreferredtothestabilityof findings,whereasvalidity isrepresentedthetruthfulnessoffindings(Altheide&Johnson,1994). Test-retestreliabilityisameasureofreliabilityobtainedbyadministeringthesametesttwiceoveraperiodoftimetoagroupofindividuals.ThescoresfromTime1andTime2canthenbecorrelatedinordertoevaluatethetestforstabilityovertime(Phelan&Wren,2006). For measuring reliability for two tests, the researcher will use Cronbach’s Apha.According to Laerd Statistics (n.d), Cronbach's alpha is themost commonmeasureofinternal consistency ("reliability"). It ismost commonlyusedwhenyouhavemultipleLikertquestionsinasurvey/questionnairethatformascaleandyouwishtodetermineifthescaleisreliable. The data analysis that will be used in this research is Multiple Regression Analysis.Multiple regressiongenerally explains the relationshipbetweenmultiple independentorpredictorvariablesandonedependentorcriterionvariable.AccordingtoSalkind(2010),

Multiple regression is a general and flexible statistical method for analyzingassociationsbetweentwoormoreindependentvariablesandasingledependentvariable.Asageneralstatisticaltechnique,multipleregressioncanbeemployedtopredictvaluesofaparticularvariablebasedonknowledgeof itsassociationwith known values of other variables, and it can be used to test scientifichypotheses about whether and to what extent certain independent variablesexplainvariationinadependentvariableofinterest.Themultipleregressionequationexplainedabovetakesthefollowingform: Y=a+bX1+bX2+bX3

MultipleRegressionsareamethod topredict thedependentvariablewith thehelpoftwoormore independent variables.While running this analysis, themainpurposeoftheresearcher is to findout therelationshipbetween thedependentvariableand theindependentvariables.



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Variable Operationalization will consist 4 variables. In this research, there are 2independentvariablestobeused.ConsumerAttitudeandGovernmentRegulationsarethe independent variables and assumed to have a direct effect on the dependentvariable.AninterveningvariablewhichisPromotionalAdsisincludedasitfollowstheindependentvariables(x1&x2)butprecedesthedependentvariable.Andlastly,OnlineGamblingBehaviorwillbethedependentvariableasitwillbetestedandmeasured.The studywill take in thePhilippinesas there is a growingnumberofonlinegamingcompaniesforthepastfewyears,bothlegal&illegalwithweakjurisdictions.Criteriaoftherespondentsintheresearchispeoplewhodoonlinegambling.TheserespondentsareresidingwithinthePhilippines.Respondentsrequiredtofillthename,age,gender,and education background. Besides the criteria of respondents, experience is alsoimportanttounderstandthemeaningofthesurvey.RESULTANDDISCUSSIONGambling in the Philippines has been present since the sixteenth century, and is stillprevalent in the country today. Currently, it takes on various legal and illegal formsfound almost all over the archipelago. If the gambling casinos are bad, the onlinegambling stations are worse. Online gambling stations are Internet cafes devoted togamblinggames.Onlinegamblinghasbeen increasing inpopularity, in fact,Barcelo&Ramos-Araneta (2019) stated that the online gambling industry is now the secondbiggest demand driver for office space in the Philippines. Online gambling can beaccessiblewhetherintheoffice,residentialcommunities,orevenatschool.WiththeuseofInternet,youcanstartplayingyourgameofchance.Becausegamblingcanbeahabit,manystudentsgetaddictedtogambling.Youngstersendupspendingtheirtimeatthesestations, instead of at home or school.While for adults, it can lead to empty savings,huge debts, or worse – life threatening future. History reveals that gambling hasdestroyed families, careers, and even lives.One visibleproblemwho’s always tied-upwithgamblingiscrime.Onlinegamblingisanimmediate,nationwidethreattothewell-beingoftheFilipinoyouth.

Table1:DemographicProfile

DemographicFactors Frequency Percentage

GenderFemale 8 8.0%Male 92 92.0%

Age

20-25 2 2.0%26-30 21 21.0%31-35 75 75.0%36-40 2 2.0%



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Location

MakatiCity 37 37.0%MandaluyongCity 17 17.0%ParanaqueCity 14 14.0%QuezonCity 27 27.0%SanJuanCity 5 5.0%

EducationBachelor'sDegree 85 85.0%Diploma 5 5.0%Master'sDegree 10 10.0%

JobIndustry

Accounting &Legal 7 7.0%

BusinessServices 30 30.0%Education 10 10.0%I.T 17 17.0%Others 33 33.0%Retail 3 3.0%

Basedon the tableabove, theageof respondentsconsistsof4groups, including2-25yearsold,26-30yearsold,31-35yearsold,andlastly,36-40yearsofage.Theagegroupwas dominated by 31-35 years of age with 75%, followed by 26-30 years of age byrespondentswith21%.Both20-25&36-40yearsofageshared2%each.WithregardstoGender,majorityoftherespondentsweremalewith92%whilefemalerespondentsonly recorded 8%.Meanwhile, the locationwas almost shared evenly except for SanJuan City which received the least number of respondents with only 5%. Makati &QuezonCityrecordedthehighestrespectivelywith37%&27%whileMandaluyong&Paranaque City had 17% & 14% respectively. The educational background was alsoincluded in the screening test, andwith no surprise, High School graduates had zerorespondents. Majority of the respondents finished their Bachelor’s degreewith 85%,whilethosewithMaster’sdegreehad10%respondents.Recordingthe leastarethosewith Diploma covering 5% only of the total respondents. Lastly, we collected theircurrent job industry where they get their income or savings to use for their onlinegamblingactivities.CominginatfirstarethoseworkingoutsidethecategoriesaboveorOtherswith37%,whileBusiness serviceshad30%responders. I.Tworkers collectedthethirdhighestwith17%whileEducation&Accounting&Legalsharedthefourth&fifth spot with 10% and 7% respectively. Those working at Retail industry had thelowestrecordingofrespondentswithonly3%.

Table2:ConsumerAttitude(x1).DescriptiveAnalysis

Variable Dimension IndicatorsMean perItem

ConsumerAttitude

EconomicMotive

Money 4.76



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SymbolicMotiveTakingRisk 4.67Escape 3.42

HedonicMotive

Pleasureseeking 2.77Socialization withfriends

4.99

Excitement 3.8Self-esteem 3.92

Table3.GovernmentRegulations(x2).DescriptiveAnalysis

Variable Dimension IndicatorsMean perItem

GovernmentRegulations

OverseeOperations

IllegalGamblingActivities

2.31

To LicenseOperations

2.57

PromoteTourismAcquire ForeignInvestors

2.4

Entertainment 2.42

GenerateFundsGovernmentDevelopmentPrograms

2.63

Table4.PromotionalAds(z1).DescriptiveAnalysis

Variable Dimension Indicators Mean

PromotionalAds

AttractingNewPlayers

Television 1.27Radio 1.38OnlineAdvertisements 5.17

Land basedgamblingoutlets

5.17

Increased Gambling (existingplayers)

Wordofmouth 4.91

FriendsRecommendation

5.04

RetainedgamblersReminders 4.35FreeBets 4.87

Attractinginactiveplayers ReceivingEmail 5.46Causinglongergamblingsessions Bonuses 5.46



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Difficulty towithdraw 3.43

Table5.OnlineGamblingBehavior(y1).DescriptiveAnalysis

Variable Dimension Indicators Meanperitem

Online GamblingBehavior

EasyAccess

Convenience 5.62TechnologicalAdvancement

5.60

PhysicalComfort 5.59

ContinuousGambling

Payoutrates 4.94ProductsOffered 5.38

Thetable forConsumerAttitudetableconsistof7 items inwhichtheyeachhavea6-pointscale. Item5recorderthehighest inrelationtoSocializationwithfriendswithameanof4.99whilepleasureseekingcollectedthelowestaveragewith2.77only.Withthat being said, majority of the respondents agree that online gambling is a highlyrecognizedattitudewhensocializingwithfriends.In the case of Government Regulation variable, it consists of 5 items with the samenumber of scale from x1with 1-6. The respondents returned an average of 2.63 forGovernment Development programs which is also the highest amongst the 5 itemswhile Illegal Gambling Activities returned the lowestmean from variable x2with anaverageof2.31whichisnotthatfarfromIllegalGamblingActivities.PromotionalAdscontainsthemostnumberof itemswith11.Twoitemsrecordedthesameaveragewith5.46namelyReceivingEmail&Bonuses.Bothof these itemshavealsorecordedthehighestamongtheothers.NotfarbehindwereLandBasedGamblingOutlet & Online Advertisementswhich also has the same average of 5.17. Radio andTelevisionreturnedthelowestmeanrespectivelywith1.38&1.27.VariableYreceivedthemostaccuratereturnsfromourrespondentsgettingmajorityoftheitemsgreaterthe5asthemean.ThisclearlysuggestthatOnlineGamblingBehavioris relatively significant with Convenience, Technological Advancement, PhysicalComfort,Payoutrates&Productsoffered.Basedon thedataanalysis, it showed thatmajorityof the respondentsareMale.Thisresearch focusesonactivegamblers residing in thePhilippineswithanexperienceofonlinegambling.Therespondentsaredominatedbyindividualsbetween31–35yearsold. Most of the respondents are coming from Makati City, this tendency occurredbecausethemostoftheonlinegamblingcompaniesareoperatingonthatsameare,andafewinQuezonCity.Morethanhalfoftherespondentsfinishedtheirbachelor’sdegree.Dueto theirachievement inCollege, these individualshavedifferentcareerpathsand



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almostshowedevenlysharedpercentageintermsoftheirjobindustry.Whilemajorityareemployed, it also sharedand idea that theycanprovideenoughmoney touse fortheir online gambling activity. Given that the location are greatly shared fromMakatiCity & Quezon City which has establishment office buildings for online gamblingcompanies,itisalsounderstandablethattheseindividualsaremoreexposedtoonlinegambling whether through word-of-mouth from their friends, or by simply noticingadvertisements on land based gambling outlets. Perhaps that most intriguing part isthat even though the highest recorded years of experiences towards online gamblingranges from 3-5 years, their daily spending for online gambling are less than 1,000pesosonlywhileonlya fewaremanageable to spend>10,000pesosaday foronlinegambling.Meanwhile, in thedescriptivebehavior, thehighestmeanbyvariablewasrecordedtoOnline Gambling Behavior. The indicators satisfy the respondents to convince themanswering around 4 to 6 in a 6-point scale, with 6 declaring as “strongly agree”.Consumer attitude had a variable mean of 4.04 where socialization with friendsrecordedthehighestaveragebyitemwith4.99.Thishighlysuggestthatthepre-acttoonline gambling is highly influenced by their friends to be more socialized. This ofcourseare followbyMoney& taking riskasbothof these indicatorsare significantlyproportionwithanytypesofgambling.CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, this study has investigated the impact of Consumer Attitude &GovernmentRegulationtowardsOnlineGamblingBehavior.Thestudywasperformedwithquantitativemethodandcomeupwiththesefindings:

1. Consumer Attitude and Government Regulations combined have significantinfluencetowardsOnlineGamblingBehavior.

2. Consumer attitude alone doesn’t offer significant impact towards onlinegamblingbehavior.

3. EveryincreaseofactivityfromGovernmentRegulation, itwillalsoincreasetheactivitytowardsOnlineGamblingBehavior.

4. PromotionalAdshasanoppositeimpacttowardsOnlineGamblingBehavior.Inthisresearch,combinedconsumerattitudeandgovernmentregulationsareactuallythemediating variables towards online gambling behavior. However, the interveningvariablewhichispromotionaladsshowsthatithasanoppositeimpacttowardsonlinegamblingbehaviorbasedfromtherespondents’returnofsurvey.Therefore,itindicatesthat both consumer attitude and government regulations combined has great impacttowardsonlinegamblingbehavior.



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Thestudycanbeusefulforthedevelopmentofthesocialbehavioronbusinessethics&marketing communications, particularly the measurement of consumer behavior &promotionaladsonhowtobeeffective.Thisstudyalsohelpedtobringoutinterestingnewtopicstobestudied,namelytheimportanceofgovernmentregulations.The limitation of this research covers the respondents of Filipinos since the study ishighlighted or focused in the Philippines. From the research, many respondentsansweredthat it is tooconvenient forthemtodoonlinegamblingandtheycaneasilyaccess it anywhere they want and anytime they prefer because of its technologicaladvancement and physical comfort. Land based gambling have been an entertainingsight from the past, but with the fast growing of technology, gambling has beenconsistent tobepartof itbybecomingaccessiblewithnewlyproducts thatarebeingoffered. To prevent causing gambling harm whether financial unstable or personaldebts, thegovernmentshouldactmore&comeupwithmorerestrictionorder in thePhilippinesbeforeitbecomesuncontrollablejustliketheevolutionoftechnology.REFERENCESAbbott,M.W.,&Volberg,R.A.(1999).AreplytoGambino’s"Anepidemiologicnoteon

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