Philippines pension manager defends iGaming investment
Summary
On 7 August 2025, iGamingBusiness reported that the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) invested PHP1 billion in DigiPlus, a Philippine Stock Exchange-listed online gaming company. Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has campaigned to curb offshore and online gambling, criticised the purchase on the Senate floor, noting the shares were bought at a peak of PHP65.30 and have since fallen to PHP13.68.
The investment comes amid wider scrutiny of GSIS investment practices: the Office of the Ombudsman suspended GSIS president Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso and six others over questionable investments, while the Commission on Audit said the agency placed PHP2.3 billion in three companies with no proven profitability, exposing members’ contributions to high risk.
GSIS responded that it supports transparency and accountability, will cooperate with oversight bodies and will comprehensively review its charter, investment policies, risk thresholds and sectoral guidelines for sensitive or high-risk industries. The fund reported PHP1.88 trillion in assets and a five-year average return on investment of 6.75%.
Source
Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/gaming/philippines-pension-manager-defends-igaming-investment/
Key Points
- • GSIS invested PHP1 billion in DigiPlus, an iGaming company listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange.
- • Senator Risa Hontiveros publicly criticised the investment and supports a total ban on online gambling.
- • The Office of the Ombudsman suspended the GSIS president and others amid probes into questionable investments.
- • The Commission on Audit flagged PHP2.3 billion placed in companies with no proven profitability, highlighting elevated risk to members’ contributions.
- • GSIS says it will review its investment policies and cooperate with oversight bodies; the fund reports PHP1.88 trillion in assets and a five-year ROI of 6.75%.
Why should I read this?
Because it’s public money, politics and gambling all rolled into one — and that combo usually has real consequences. If you follow pension governance, Philippine regulation or the iGaming sector, this story quickly tells you who’s upset, what was invested, and how the fund says it’ll respond. Short, sharp and useful.
Context and relevance
The story highlights growing political and regulatory pressure around online gambling in the Philippines and rising scrutiny of how public pension funds invest. Lawmakers pushing for bans on e-gambling and restrictions on digital wallets may escalate oversight of GSIS, while the controversy underscores reputational and regulatory risks when pension funds enter sensitive or high-risk sectors. Investors, policy watchers and public-sector stakeholders should monitor any follow-up investigations or policy changes.
Author
Marjorie Preston — punchy briefing: this matters because it could drive tighter investment controls on public funds and influence gambling policy in the Philippines.