The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR urges the public to report e-sabong or online cockfighting websites that are made available for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“We request the public to report to PAGCOR those websites which are accessible abroad for our proper disposition,” PAGCOR said in a statement.
The agency said they want to investigate reports that some OFWs are getting addicted to online gambling and getting mired in debt.
“Offshore betting, or bets coming from players abroad, even if from Filipinos, are not allowed in e-sabong,” PAGCOR said.
E-sabong has been existing for many years now but it boomed during the pandemic. Reports say that the racket grosses PHP1.8 billion a day.
“To ensure that this standard is met, applicants for e-sabong operations are required to submit a certification from a gaming laboratory attesting that the gaming websites are not accessible outside the Philippines and that Internet Protocol (IP) addresses emanating from other countries are blocked or restricted from accessing such websites,” PAGCOR said.
“With the institution of these controls, PAGCOR is able to ensure that the interests and welfare of our OFWs and their families are upheld and protected,” PAGCOR added.
