Who Owns Legal e-Sabong or Online Sabong Companies in the Philippines?
Betting
on sabong (cockfighting) is actually legal in the Philippines! But with
COVID-19 restrictions, this kind of sport turned to e-sabong or online sabong
because cockfighting events are not yet allowed. Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Andrea Domingo announced that there are
only two companies that are currently allowed to legally operate e-sabong or
online sabong:
Lucky 8 Starquest owned by Atong Ang and
Belvedere Corp. owned by Bong Pineda.
The gambling icons were able to legally operate
online “sabong” or cockfighting companies after paying the Php75-million
performance bond set by PAGCOR. Domingo clarified that online sabong is legal,
as long as the companies have a license to operate. “Ang e-sabong ang major
source ng funds namin sa ngayon dahil nagsara nga ang mga casinos due to
COVID,” the chairman explained.
She added that majority of the proceeds go to
President Rodrigo Duterte’s social funds. In turn, these funds are used to fund
hospitals and augment the budget for cash aid to Filipino citizens amid the
pandemic.
Illegal e-Sabong Operators Three other
companies tried to apply for a license but failed to pay for the performance
bond:
1. Oriental Capital Venture,
2. Encuentro,
3. and Magnus.
While
these companies don’t appear to be breaking the law, the PAGCOR chairman said
that they found two illegal e-sabong operators that are accepting online bets
without a license: sabonginternational.com and kingsportslive.com. According to
Domingo, both illegal sabong websites are operated by congressmen, but did not
name the said politicians or where they’re from. “Nakikipag-ugnayan na kami sa
PNP [Philippine National Police] na hulihin ang mga online sabong sites na wala
pang mga lisensya,” Domingo added.
Where to Get e-Sabong License The E-Sabong
Licensing Department (ESLD) of PAGCOR handles the processing and issuance of
licenses for e-sabong operations and related tasks for off-site
wagering/betting on live cockfighting matches and online/remote streaming activities.
Read More at www.businessnews.com.ph/who-owns-legal-e-sabong-or-online-sabong-companies-in-the-philippines-20210510/
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