Carlo Ople calls out NCAA over gambling partnership

• Courtesy of Carlo Ople

Anti-gambling advocate Carlo Ople called out the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA) over its partnership with PlayTime Entertainment, questioning the appropriateness of associating a gambling company with collegiate sports.

PlayTime Entertainment signed on as the official entertainment partner and season presenter of NCAA Season 102, marking its expansion into collegiate sports.

In a video posted on his social media account, Ople raised concerns over what he described as the promotion and normalization of gambling in schools and among young people.

“Kailan pa naging okay ang pag-promote ng sugal sa mga eskwelahan?” Ople said.

He questioned why concerns are being raised about minors’ access to social media, first-person shooter games and online games while a gambling company is being associated with collegiate sports.

“We scream about banning social media for minors, we scream about banning FPS and online games. Yung totoong games ah, hindi yung gantong klaseng games to protect minors,” Ople said.

“A gambling company partnering with collegiate sports? It offends me. It offends me as a Filipino. It offends me as a human,” he added.

Ople also questioned why gambling is being allowed to become normalized among young people, saying schools should not become a “Trojan horse” for gambling.

“Bakit natin pinapayagan ma-normalize ang pagsusugal sa kabataan? Bakit natin hinahayaan na maging Trojan horse ang pangalan ng mga eskwelahan natin para sa mga pagsusugal,” he said.

He further claimed that Filipino youth are an obvious target of online gambling companies.

“Napaka-obvious na ang target ng mga online gambling companies na ’to is the Filipino youth, and yet we offer them up with open arms to them,” Ople said.

Ople stressed that older generations have a responsibility to create a better environment for young people.

“Ang trabaho po natin bilang nakakatanda is to pave a better road for the next generation. Is to leave the world a better place for them to live in when they grow up. This isn’t it, Chief?” he said.

“There is no way in hell that this partnership will be of any good,” he added.

Ople ended the video by directing questions at the NCAA and its member schools over the partnership.

“Inaprub niyo ’to? Gusto niyo ’to? Okay lang sa inyo ’to?” he asked.

The materials provided do not include a response from the NCAA or PlayTime Entertainment to Ople’s criticism.