E sabong is defined as online betting on live cockfights, events, activities. Cockfight, popularly known as Sabong which is a tradition that goes back centuries. If you bet on cockfight online, it is called “e sabong”. The country's national pastime is rooster fighting which is totally legal in the Philippines. The Philippines has had a cockfights culture as early as before the Spanish colonization. Some people can make a lot of money betting. It is reported that online gambling services have exploded in popularity so that began to flourish amid the pandemic. Those rowdy gamblers are not in cockpit arenas anymore, they have gone e sabong online. The bookmakers increased advertising on websites and social media to catch potential customer's eyes. These live events have been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, and most countries are adhering to the same precautions to stop the virus from spreading further. However, online betting on rooster fighting has rocketed in the Philippines since cockpits were closed at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. It can be beneficial for those struggling with a gambling addiction, or those simply suffering from boredom and looking for a way to kill time.
Table of contents [Show]
-
Cockfight brings income, but also brings some problems that cause negative effects.
- 1st news: Disappearances of 31 enthusiasts of e-sabong. (22 Feb 2022)
- 2nd news: Philippines president Duterte defends e-Sabong (8 April 2022)
- 3rd news: President Duterte orders e-sabong ban! (3 May 2022)
- 4th news: DILG urges Facebook to delete illegal e sabong pages (30 May 2022)
- 5th news: Problems after e sabong stops (2 September 2022)
- The difference between online Sabong and physical Sabong.
- Conclusion
Cockfight brings income, but also brings some problems that cause negative effects.
The first e sabong news : E-Sabong reports the disappearance of 31 players. The second news is about "Philippines president Duterte defends online cockfighting". We hope to bring you more information through news. Today we will introduce five of the hottest e Sabong news about 2022. Let's check the latest news now!
1st news: Disappearances of 31 enthusiasts of e-sabong. (22 Feb 2022)
A series of kidnappings and disappearances of e sabong fans have occurred in the past few months. It is reported, a number of chicken betting players disappeared in the Philippines in January. Some cockfighting players were reportedly disappearing after telling their respective families that they were going to attend an e sabong event in Lipa.
The incident sparked a public outcry against the industry. The Philippine government is also conducting an in-depth investigation into the incident. The investigation is still ongoing. There is a Manila senator who expressed his condemnation of this blatant act of violence. He believes that the license of the electronic cockfighting operator should be suspended while the missing case remains unresolved.
The regulator suggests that the players do not engage in any gaming activity by unlicensed online cockfight industry and do not register any sites to avoid being cheated of your money.
2nd news: Philippines president Duterte defends e-Sabong (8 April 2022)
There is a lot of money to be made on bets. In other countries, such as America and Europe, bets are made on baseball games, and even soccer games. In the Philippines, the majority of bets are made on cockfights. PAGCOR can earn PHP 650 million in revenue per month from e-Sabong. In the first news we have mentioned the case of the 31 missing persons. After that, 23 senators of the Philippines signed Resolution No. 996 to suspend the online cockfighting. On the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic has consumed more money than the Philippine government budgeted. Therefore, President Rodrigo Duterte again defended it. He said that the government needed to generate revenue from this activity. If it is suspended, it will lose billions of pesos in revenue. PAGCOR chairman Andrea Domingo has previously said that if online cockfighting continues to operate until the end of 2022, the regulator could raise more than 7 billion pesos.
In April 2022, the Philippine government conducted a sentiment survey on online rooster fighting. A total of 8,463 respondents expressed their views. The opinion of the public will be the basis for the President to decide the fate.
Online Sabong addiction is now the biggest social problem in the Philippines. A senator likened online fighting to drugs, arguing that gambling is no different from drug use. Both create addictions and break families. Another thing is that if a kid has a smartphone, he can easily bet on e Sabong. It is unreasonable that is not only 24 hours and accessible to everyone. It should be regulated better, such as holding it on weekends or not making it 24/7.
Duterte kept an open mind to order the suspension of e-Sabong. If necessary, he will make a decision.
3rd news: President Duterte orders e-sabong ban! (3 May 2022)
Philippines president Duterte changed his mind and put a stop to e Sabong. In March, president Duterte just refused the Senate's call to suspend the license. At the time, he said that an immediate suspension of online cockfighting operations would have budgetary and economic implications. Online cockfighting will continue despite the disappearance of 31 people linked to the industry. However, president Duterte changed his mind in just one month. Why did he change? It was reported, Duterte ordered an investigation which confirmed earlier reports. There are some enthusiasts who stay awake 24 hours a day, pawn their items, just to have money to bet. It had a major impact on people and their families.
In one extreme case, a young mother was accused of selling her 8-month-old daughter for P45,000 to pay off her debt. More and more Filipinos get addicted to online cockfighting. Consequently, betting online cockfight was becoming a serious problem to the Filipinos. Therefore, the Philippine government has received a lot of criticism from different sources and finally succumbed to the pressure. President Duterte announced the ban this activity and reversed his previous declaration in May. The economy should not take precedence over people. Filipino think that was working against their values.
4th news: DILG urges Facebook to delete illegal e sabong pages (30 May 2022)
The Department of the Interior and Local Government closed down seven e Sabong platforms operating illegally in May. However, they still found out that there were some groups promoting cockfighting online operations on Facebook. Those in the online cockfighting industry send messages and betting links to interested cock fight players. Facebook is the most used social media platform in the Philippines. It is estimated that the Philippines has at least 89.0 million active Facebook users using social media on average about four hours a day. The Philippines is one of Facebook’s biggest markets. In the Philippines, Facebook(Meta) is not only a social media platform but also a primary source of news. The Department of the Interior and Local Government urges Facebook to remove illegal pages. One agency called on Facebook's parent company Meta to remove these pages because minors can freely access these sites.
On the other hand, since most of the online cockfight payments and cash outs are through GCash. Some institutions are actively requesting Globe's assistance in stopping the use of their platforms for illegal purposes. PNP cybercrime units are not only for cyber patrolling in active online sabong sites but in preparing arrests as well. Jonathan Malaya, deputy minister and spokesman for the Ministry of Interior and Local Government asked for help to stop the illegal operations. If you know where the work place of these illegal online cockfighting operations is, immediately contact your nearest police station.
5th news: Problems after e sabong stops (2 September 2022)
Filipino men are known to be so addicted to cockfighting. They even bet all their money in one fell swoop, thus ruining their reputation and life. It is estimated that there are five million online sabong players in the Philippines. The average of daily bets is 1 billion peso to 2 billion peso, which translates to 60 billion peso a month. The bet amount can be said to be quite considerable.
Although the government has banned this bloodly sport. However, the superior has policy, the inferior has countermeasures. Many online platforms are still operating illegally. Since e-sabong was banned in May, bettors have been looking for alternatives to cockfighting online. It has indeed brought huge benefits to the Philippines. The suspension reduced revenues the Philippine government and also helped illegal betting activities as well.
On the other hand, there are some people who used to work at e-Sabong but now lost their jobs. The cockfighting industry has brought huge business and job opportunities to the Philippines. It provides millions of jobs for Filipino society. Presidential aspirant Ernesto Abella said on May 4 : “Some people have no other means of earning a living. Alternative jobs and businesses should be given to those who will be affected by the ban on e-sabong operations.”
The difference between online Sabong and physical Sabong.
| online cockfighting | physical cockfighting | |
| betting method | bet on online cockfighting platform | handwritten note |
| payment | Gcash, online bank, e-wallet | cash |
| withdraw | Gcash、online bank … (You can withdraw the prize in 60 seconds) | cash |
| data analysis | complete competition data | on the spot |
| game credibility | online live streaming of national legal competition | Legal and illegal games coexist (may make under the table payments) |
| where | anywhere with internet | real cockfighting arenas |
| financial security | complete accounting records betting history Withdrawal record time record live chat for customer service | will incur high fees risk of being robbed |
| system | player / agent | mainly for players |
Conclusion
Undeniably, it could be a constant family issue. Many Filipinos expressed an interest in this form of gambling at an early age. This is due in large part to the influence of their family members. Frequent exposure to cockfighting made them perceive it as a thrill-seeking pastime. It offered a source of recreation. Thus, the cockpit has also become the place where most young players socialize on a weekly basis. However, one of the negative consequences of their continued involvement in online fighting cock is their addiction to it.
On the other hand, the sudden cessation of operations has caused problems for many livelihoods of families. Radasa, an employee who works at an off-cockpit betting station, said she hopes to resume the online cockfighting business. Her father has benefited from free dialysis and medical assistance from online cockfighting stakeholders, including the Pitmaster Foundation. However, when E Sabong was suspended in May 2022, her father's dialysis also stopped. Radasa doesn't know where she can get support for her father's medical needs.
This blood sport is incredibly popular in the Philippines because it reflects the nation's culture. The Philippines had a cockfighting culture before Spanish colonization. It has an allure that many find hard to resist. In fact, it was mere betting that drew them to this extremely brutal sport. Filipinos' passion for sabong has made it a culturally and legally acceptable form of gambling. That's why many experts believe that banning this e-sport completely is not a good idea.
If you bet on fighting cock online responsibly, treat it like a pastime, and stick to your budget, it can be a highly fulfilling activity. In addition to having fun, you can win prizes and meet new friends. It is impossible to control the urge to gamble, regardless of its consequences. Any gambling activity that has a negative impact on your life is considered problem gambling. Therefore, the government can implement soft controls, such as pre-commitment technologies and requirements to notify players about how much time and money they have spent gambling. Finally, players can take personal responsibility for keeping their gambling within known safe limits. When everybody takes responsibility for preventing gambling problems, everybody wins.
