Ivana Alawi’s gambling-linked giveaway draws more flak from fellow influencers

Ivana Alawi continues to face criticism over her phone giveaway tied to an online gambling platform as several content creators reiterate their opposition to gambling promotions.

Among those who weighed in the issue was influencer Jax Reyes, whose content is mostly related to finances and financial literacy. While not mentioning Alawi by name, Reyes highlighted the prevalence of gambling in the country.

“Imagine in 2025, 32 million adult Filipinos are gamblers. Di pa kasama diyan mga ‘gaming’ na unregulated ng PAGCOR. Let that sit, mas marami pang sugarol kaysa sa credit card holders or even those with bank accounts.” Reyes wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, July 19, citing an INQUIRER.net report based on figures released by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) records.

In a separate Facebook post, Reyes shared a clip of his July 2025 interview on “TV Patrol,” saying his position against gambling has remained unchanged.

“Fast forward to today, my stance hasn’t changed. Speaking out against gambling isn’t just me riding a trend, fighting this crisis that destroys Filipino families is a continuous advocacy. Kahit trending or not, I will never stop speaking up against this silent cancer. Let’s fight this together!” he wrote.

READ: Coco Martin’s camp clarifies he doesn’t promote gambling, warns vs fake ads

Broadcast journalist Jacque Manabat also spoke against gambling endorsements, revealing that she had received offers to promote what was described as “responsible gambling.”

“I won’t deny that I have received offers to promote ‘responsible gambling.’ ’Di ko rin gets bakit pati ako kasama sa e-mail blast nila eh mula noon hindi na ako sang-ayon sa sugal. Ni isang post promoting gambling WALA,” Manabat wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday, July 18.

While she did not specifically mention Alawi, Manabat urged fellow content creators to consider the influence they have over their audiences.

“Panawagan ko na rin ito sa kapwa ko creators sa social media: Magiging proud ka ba sa paghikayat sa mga sumusuporta sa’yo na mag-sugal? Isa man o higit isang milyon pa ang ‘followers’ mo, you are responsible to the lives you reach,” she said. 

“Maging responsable… sa paggamit ng boses mo online. Sa responsible content creation tayo,” added the broadcast journalist. 

Educational content creator Lyqa Maravilla, meanwhile, pointed out that while it is more understandable for small-time content creators to advertise gambling on their platforms, those with bigger following and have made a name for themselves should be more circumspect with the products they are endorsing.

“Ang laki na ninyo kumita. Marangya na ang pamumuhay ninyo. Di ba dapat mas mahirap ka nang mabili?” she said in her Facebook post.

Hobbyist and digital creator Carlo Ople said influencers must be more mindful of their sphere of influence over their audience. He said he will appeal to government and the Ad Standards Council to implement an “outright ban” on celebrities and influencers from promoting gambling and casinos.

“You are responsible for what you introduce to the audience you built,” he said.

Vlogger Rosmar Tan likewise posted about her refusal to endorse gambling despite receiving lucrative offers.

“Daming offer sakin milyon milyon. Pero ayaw ng asawa ko. Minsan napaisip din ako kasi naisip ko na kapag tinanggap ko e mas lalo madami ako maitulong. Itutulong ko lahat ng kikitain ko. Pero naisip ko din na kapag ginawa ko. Marami akong matutulungan pero mas maraming masisira ang buhay… Pero it’s a big no talaga,” she said.

Alawi has been under fire since announcing a giveaway of 100 high-end smartphones in partnership with an online gambling platform she endorses.

In a video posted on July 15, the actress-vlogger documented herself purchasing the phones for a total of P4,280,750 and thanked the gambling platform for helping fund the giveaway.

The “Love Is Never Gone” star instructed followers to follow the platform’s page to qualify for the raffle, saying winners would be selected from its followers.

While many netizens joined the giveaway, others criticized the promotion, expressing concern over its connection to online gambling.

Despite the backlash, Alawi has not taken down the giveaway post. As of writing, the video has since amassed over 246 million views, over 8 million reactions and 6.7 million comments. /edv