THE suspension of eSabong operations have seen bettors seeking other alternatives to the online cockfighting game, some of which are illegally operating and are excluded from the regulatory control of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Jade Entertainment and Gaming Technologies, Inc. chief executive officer Joe Pisano made the statement as he cited the recent arrest of two businessmen and their 37 personnel by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation Region 7 for allegedly organizing illegal online cockfighting or eSabong.
The arrest was made last week in Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu based on a search warrant issued by Judge Veloso-Fernandez of Branch 19 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) on the premises of Amenic N’ Calajoano cockpit.
The NBI-7 has identified the two alleged operators of illegal eSabong websites as Carlos Uy Gothong lll and Sergio Lu. Initial findings from the investigation revealed that the cockfights were reportedly streamed on the website goperya.net.
During the arrest, NBI-7 seized around P2 million worth of gadgets such as video cameras and computers and bet money amounting to P2.6 million.
Pisano said the ban on eSabong has not only resulted in potential revenue losses for the government, but also helped further perpetuate illegal betting activities in the country.
“Compared to when sabong was being held (openly) in different arenas, then I guess that (suspension) is where you don’t get to monitor what is happening,” Pisano said, adding that the government is now losing out on the taxes that they could have collected from the illegal businesses.
Revenues from online cockfighting have helped boost Pagcor’s mandated contributions to nation building to P22.91 billion in 2021, which grew from the previous year despite the challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pisano stressed that it is better to have an activity that is regulated and operated by people or organizations that the government has the confidence to do so than an activity that’s outside the government’s scope.
This way, he said, the activity “can be run properly and will not be abused, so that this particular activity will rebound to being a positive rather than being a negative to the economy.”
Pisano warned illegal betting would continue growing if the government “cannot take a more coordinated and effective action to combat illegal betting operators.”
“Because if we’re allowing casinos to operate, we are allowing horseracing to operate, then what makes [eSabong] different? It’s either you cannot say that one thing is good, but another thing is not. It should be applied equally across,” Pisano said.
To stop the proliferation of illegal eSabong websites, Pisano said licensed eSabong operators are willing to coordinate with lawmakers on the strict regulation of the industry.
“We’re happy to work with the lawmakers. I believe there’s a lot we can contribute to help form regulations and to help drive away the illegal [operators],” he said.
In May 2022, former President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the suspension of eSabong operations across the country.
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