Issue ‘e-sabong’ licenses, Palace tells PAGCOR (Sabong Arena)
Genre
Sabong Arena
Keywords
Sabong Live Online
Article ID
00000337
Due to the urgent needs of the government for funds because of the coronavirus pandemic, Malacañang has ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to issue licenses to operate to some online cockfighting or “e-sabong” sites, to legalize their operations.
According to lawyer Jose Tria Gr., senior vice president of PAGCOR’s Offshore and Online Gaming, besides the income component, the government gaming regulator needs to ensure that the online betting public is not being scammed by online sabong operations, hence the need for new licenses.
“Bukod kasi sa hinahabol na income para sa pamahalaan, kailangan na hindi naman naloloko o nadadaya ang mga tumatangkilik ng sabong sa online kaya kailangan talagang bigyan na sila ng license. Pag may license kasi, namomonitor namin ang kanilang operasyon, galaw, at income,” Tria said.
Sources said five companies have applied for licenses to operate online “sabong,” but only two of them were allowed to start full commercial operations, as the others have yet to pay corresponding fees and taxes to PAGCOR.
