E-sabong continues to thrive on illegal gaming platforms – study
STILL IN BUSINESS Online cockfighting continues despite a 2022 ban, as shown by this screengrab from a Facebook video in July.
MANILA, Philippines — Despite the nationwide ban on online cockfight betting or e-sabong since December 2022, such activities continue to proliferate on unregulated platforms, a new study said.
Sociocultural research firm The Fourth Wall issued on Wednesday a report that examined key operational areas of online gaming. The study underscored how unregulated sites operate outside of the protocols mandated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Based on its findings, several unregulated gambling platforms continue to host e-sabong events and actively promote the game on platforms like Facebook. Promotions are sustained through dedicated groups and private messaging platforms.
The games are sometimes gated by account registration but remain openly promoted, indicating ongoing demand and the resilience of illegal operators, it noted.
The Fourth Wall conducted and publicized the research in the midst of national discussions on whether online gaming should be outrightly banned or regulations should just be tightened.
READ: Senate panel sets online gambling probe as Palace readies ‘conclave’
Banned since 2022
President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 9 in December 2022, suspending e-sabong operations nationwide and halting all forms of online, remote, or off-cockpit betting on live cockfighting matches, as well as the live-streaming of such events outside official venues.
E-sabong has come to the spotlight after its sighting during President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address in July, when a congressman was filmed watching a cockfighting livestream.
At the same time, the case of missing sabungeros has continued to baffle the country. Businessman Atong Ang is now facing murder and illegal detention raps.
READ: Napolcom: 12 cops linked to missing ‘sabungeros’ suspended for 90 days
“Our latest report demonstrates how prohibited games like e-sabong remain easily accessible on unregulated platforms even to high-profile figures, underscoring persistent enforcement challenges,” John Brylle Bae, research director at The Fourth Wall, said in a press statement on Wednesday. /dda
