Manila, May 6 -- Telecommunications firm Globe Telecom Inc. (Globe) has noted a 967 percent increase in the number of illegal online gambling sites it blocked in the first quarter of 2024.

Globe said a total of 1,345 domains in its network were blocked, a 967 percent increase from the same quarter last year when 126 sites were barred.

"Of the total, 260 sites were blocked in January, 855 in February, and 230 in March," Globe said in a statement Monday.

It took note of the massive annual increase of blocked illegal gambling sites from only 52 sites in 2021, 396 in 2022, and 4,237 in 2023.

Anton Bonifacio, Globe's chief information security officer, said illegal online gambling can have "devastating financial and social consequences" an...