E-Sabong outlawed by Office of the President memorandum

The Office of the President issued a memorandum on May 3, 2022 directing all licensed E-Sabong operators to shut down their gaming websites and cease gaming operations, according to PAGCOR's annual report for 2022¹. The order covered all accredited auxiliary operations and Off-Cockpit Betting Stations¹.

E-Sabong is online cockfight betting, a form of sabong that was licensed and regulated in the Philippines before the memorandum. PAGCOR's report records the closure under the heading "Aborted E-Sabong operations," which it says registered Php2.02 billion in income¹. The report does not state how many operators were affected, how many betting stations closed, or what happened to money already held in player accounts. Those details have not been reported in the document.

The same report shows the wider Philippine gaming industry recovering in 2022, with gross gaming revenue of Php214.33 billion, an 89.52% increase from 2021¹. PAGCOR's own revenue rose 66.16% year on year, from Php35.48 billion in 2021 to Php58.96 billion in 2022, and net income reached Php4.44 billion¹. The agency's contribution to nation-building rose 51.30%, from Php22.91 billion in 2021 to Php34.67 billion in 2022¹.

The report also lists new and reopened venues during the year, including Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City on May 8, 2022, and Winford Resort & Casino Manila in Sta. Cruz, Manila on October 7, 2022¹. It records electronic games operations earnings up 185.81% year on year to Php3.64 billion¹.

What it means for players

For anyone who bet on E-Sabong in the Philippines, the licensed websites and Off-Cockpit Betting Stations covered by the memorandum were required to stop taking bets from May 3, 2022. The report does not describe any transition period, refund process or penalty for operators that continued. It also does not say whether unlicensed or offshore cockfight betting sites remained accessible to players in the country, or how authorities treated them. Players in the Philippines can still access regulated casino, bingo, electronic games and other gaming products that PAGCOR licenses, and the report shows those sectors expanding through 2022.

What happens next

The report gives no dated next steps for E-Sabong. It does not state whether the shutdown was permanent, whether licenses were revoked or suspended, or whether any operator appealed. PAGCOR says it strengthened partnerships with the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to combat illegal gambling, "especially those conducted online"¹. No further action on E-Sabong is described in the document.