E-Sabong not the place to earn—Pagcor

 warns (Sabong News)

Only bet what someone can afford to lose, this is the reminder of the government’s gaming regulator to cockfighting enthusiasts who play in the new online gambling craze E-Sabong. In a statement, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) said Wednesday, Sept. 1, that betting in E-Sabong should not be regarded by someone as a way to make money. E-Sabong is only a form of entertainment, Pagcor said, reminding the public to practice responsible gaming amid the rising popularity of cockfight betting mobile apps and websites that draw huge numbers of Filipino users. “Gaming responsibly is when a player only bets with money that he or she can afford to lose, making sure that money allocated for daily sustenance and for the family are not used,” Pagcor said. The gaming regulator also said that bettors should always set a spending and time limit. “Avoid playing when feeling depressed or upset, and never encourage persons below 21 years of age to participate in gambling,” it added.
 With various quarantine restrictions being imposed all over the country, people venture on various activities to relieve their stress, boredom and fatigue, while others are looking for ways to earn income due to the pandemic-induced economic crisis.

 “Sabong being closely intertwined with our culture, is presently gaining popularity as an online gaming activity among Filipino,” Pagcor said. But Pagcor said the agency is continually instituting measures to prevent gambling addiction and to prohibit underage gambling. Meanwhile, Pagcor has called on the public not to engage in any gaming activity from unlicensed E-Sabong operators and unregistered E-Sabong websites to avoid being duped and cheated of your hard earned money. Licensed E-Sabong operators, their brands and websites can be viewed at the PAGCOR website. To strengthen the fight against unauthorized and illegal operations, Pagcor is in close coordination with government agencies such as the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Information and Technology. “It is for the above reasons that PAGCOR had to step in to regulate the emerging industry to primarily protect the Filipino players and to ensure that the government get its appropriate share of revenues from their operations,” Pagcor said. “Without regulation, E-Sabong will proliferate and have far reaching detrimental effects on its players,” it added.