Electronic cockfighting has been explicitly banned in the Philippines for nearly four years, but a senator recently revealed that platforms in Central Luzon are still secretly operating. Faced with questions about whether law enforcement has been lax, the Philippine National Police (PNP) recently broke their silence, admitting that cybercrime evolves too quickly, making it indeed difficult to combat. However, the police also emphasized that their enforcement actions have never ceased and have even begun to trace the "financial backers" behind the scenes. Ultimately, this is no longer just about shutting down live streams, but a tug-of-war between technology and finance. For updates on Southeast Asian online gambling law enforcement dynamics, the PASA official website will continue to follow.
Enforcement challenges: Why does cockfighting continue to be broadcasted even after websites are shut down?
PNP Chief Jose Merlencio Nartatez in his latest statement acknowledged that the rapid technological iteration of electronic cockfighting is outpacing traditional law enforcement methods. Operators commonly use VPN hopping, overseas servers, and rapid migration of live streams to evade blocking, often shutting down one domain only for a new website to go online immediately. The police admit: "The difficulty lies in the rapidly evolving nature of the crime." This has forced law enforcement to adjust tactics—not just satisfied with shutting down sites, but to trace the money trail to its source.
New tactics: Not just "shutting down live streams," but also "cutting off the money flow"
Nartatez revealed that several targeted measures have now been deployed:
Enhanced cross-regional monitoring: Directing commanders at all levels to cooperate with anti-cybercrime units to set up intelligence networks within their jurisdictions.
Tracking the technological source: Targeting operators who use overseas servers to hide their identities for precise strikes.
Severing the financial chains: Going beyond just shutting down interfaces, by analyzing payment channels to expose the platform owners and investors behind them.
This "online blocking + offline netting" strategy has a clear goal—to make illegal platforms within the Philippines have "neither images nor money to earn."
52,842 domains behind: The truth about the unending ban
Electronic cockfighting was completely halted by then-President Duterte in 2022, a ban continued by the Marcos administration. The direct trigger was the mysterious disappearance of at least 34 cockfighting enthusiasts, which shocked society. However, the hidden nature of cyberspace has made the ban challenging to enforce over the long term. Data from the Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) shows that between 2023 and 2025, a total of 52,842 related domains and subdomains were banned.
While the numbers seem staggering, the reality is that platforms "change location after firing a shot." Law enforcement agencies must continuously invest resources to keep up with offenders on a technological level. This high-profile response from the police is both a response to public oversight and a signal to the outside world: this battle is far from over.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
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PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
