Philippine e-Sabong Operators Pay PAGCOR US$19.9M in 4 Months

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) has collected PHP1bn (US$19.9m) in fees from licenced e-sabong (online cockfighting) operators since the industry became regulated in May.

The regulator has warned the public not to participate in cockfighting betting offered by illegal operators. It said it is cooperating with the National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Ministry of Information Technology to crack down on illegal operators.

In May, PAGCOR announced that two licensed e-sabong operators started to operate. In June, it approved two more applications.

PAGCOR chairman Andrea Domingo said the maximum number of e-sabong licences would be 12. She said there were currently 12 applications pending, but that only 8 new entrants will be allowed to enter the market.

Domingo said PAGCOR chose to regulate e-sabong to eradicate illegal gambling and make up for lost revenue from its land-based casinos and online gaming companies, which have been hit hard by countermeasures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. She predicted that licensed e-sabong operators in the Philippines could generate revenue of between PHP3bn to PHP3.5bn this year.