The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has published a list of accredited E-Sabong Off-Cockpit Betting Stations, dated as of 14 March 2022, on its regulatory page1. The list sits alongside the agency's E-Sabong regulatory manuals and its lists of licensed operators1.
PAGCOR states that regulation of online sabong, or eSabong, falls to it under the PAGCOR Charter, a position it says was clarified by the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice1. Live cockfighting in cockpit arenas, by contrast, is regulated by the Local Government Unit concerned1. PAGCOR defines eSabong as the online, remote or off-site wagering on live cockfighting matches streamed or broadcast live from cockpit arenas licensed or authorized by the relevant Local Government Units1.
"List of Accredited E-Sabong Off-Cockpit Betting Stations as of 03142022"
The same page carries other documents with later dates. The E-Sabong Regulatory Framework and the Regulatory Framework for E-Sabong Off-Cockpit Betting Station are both marked updated as of 04272022, and the lists of E-Sabong Operators and E-Sabong Auxiliary Operators are marked as of 042820221. The page also displays a public advisory image referring to the suspension of operations, though the text of that advisory is not set out on the page1.
PAGCOR's E-Sabong regulatory work is handled by the E-Sabong Licensing Department (ESLD), which develops the regulatory framework, processes applications and issues licenses to conduct E-Sabong operations1. The page lists downloadable ESLD forms covering operator registration, off-cockpit betting station applications, website and cockpit registration, changes to operating hours, temporary suspension of station operations, and self-banning and family-banning applications1. The number of accredited stations on the 14 March 2022 list is not stated in the text of the page1.
What it means for players
For anyone betting on E-Sabong in the Philippines, the publication of an accredited off-cockpit betting station list gives a reference point for which physical outlets PAGCOR has accredited, separate from the licensed operators running the online product1. The distinction matters because PAGCOR regulates the online betting side while local government units regulate the cockpit arenas where the fights take place1. Players can compare an outlet or operator against PAGCOR's own published lists rather than relying on a venue's signage; the general steps for checking a gambling license are set out in our guide on how to check a gambling license. Background on the wider tradition and its regulation is in our Sabong guide and our Philippines gambling overview.
What happens next
The page carries a public advisory image on the suspension of operations, but no text of that advisory and no dated next steps are set out on the page1. The regulatory framework and operator lists carry later dates than the station list, 04272022 and 04282022 respectively, but what changed between those dates has not been reported in the page text1.
Sources1 sources
- PAGCOR Regulatory, pagcor.ph
