In recent years, the Philippine government has opened up PIGO (local gaming licenses), but online cockfighting (e-Sabong) remains completely banned. Why is that? Let's explore today!
Why is online cockfighting banned?
The Philippine government issued online cockfighting licenses from 2020 to 2022, allowing players to bet through mobile apps. However, this business quickly exposed serious social issues:
✅ Severe gambling addiction: Non-stop betting 24 hours a day, many players go bankrupt, even pawning their children or committing crimes to raise money.
✅ Frequent disappearance cases: From 2021 to 2022, at least 34 cockfighting-related individuals mysteriously disappeared, suspected of being harmed due to "rigged matches."
✅ Easy access for minors: Low-threshold online betting, students and low-income groups are deeply trapped, even running away in debt.
✅ Difficult for police to regulate: Unlike physical casinos, online cockfighting involves players nationwide, making law enforcement extremely challenging.
Faced with a social crisis, in May 2022, then-President Duterte completely halted online cockfighting, emphasizing that "social morals are more important than tax revenue."
What is the current policy in the Philippines?
1️⃣ The government ban is still in effect:
After President Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, he continued to enforce the ban.
In 2024, the Philippine Congress has passed the second reading of a bill that may completely legislate the ban on online cockfighting, with violators facing up to 20 years in prison.
2️⃣ The government continues to crack down on illegal e-Sabong:
The police have blocked over 1300 illegal online cockfighting websites.
Since 2023, 1245 people have been arrested for operating underground e-Sabong.
3️⃣ Other PIGO businesses are still operational:
The Philippine government allows online casinos, sports betting, and electronic bingo among other PIGO businesses, but online cockfighting is strictly prohibited.
Cockfighting culture has a significant influence, and the government fears that social issues would erupt again if it were legalized.
Is there a possibility that online cockfighting will be legalized in the future? Highly unlikely!
💥 The government's top officials are firm in their stance, and even though POGO (offshore gaming) has been thoroughly regulated, there has been no relaxation for e-Sabong.
💥 Strong public opposition, with organizations like the Catholic Church in the Philippines exerting pressure, believing that e-Sabong has too great an impact on impoverished communities.
💥 The policy trend leans towards a "complete ban," with the Philippine Congress pushing forward legislation to ensure that online cockfighting cannot be legally revived in the future.
The Philippines does not open up online cockfighting mainly because of its great social harm and the extreme difficulty in regulation. Even though PIGO businesses continue to develop, e-Sabong remains a "no-go zone," with very low chances of being legalized in the future!
Why doesn't the Philippines restore online cockfighting (e-Sabong)? Let's delve deeper into this discussion.
Comments0
It's none of my business.
Well, slot machines are not very harmful to the impoverished groups. Look at those poor sods squatting in front of the slot machines at OKADA, each one of them is like addicted to drugs.
I have a brilliant idea to open an underground cockfighting betting ring.
In the past few years, it was okay, but suddenly it wasn't.
Once cockfighting is opened, PIGO's performance will definitely multiply several times.
brain-damaged policy
Allowing betting on football but not on cockfighting, what kind of morality is that?
Isn't it contradictory? Just because it's PIGO, it doesn't harm people, right?
Hahaha, this is even more serious.
Cockfighting is the national game, no one dares to bear the consequences of opening up.
The social impact is too negative, it's better to ban it.
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