The Senate on Monday, Feb. 28, formally filed a resolution urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to suspend the operation of the popular "E-sabong" or online cockfight until the cases of the 31 missing cockfight aficionados are resolved.
But, with e-sabong reaching OFWs – particularly lonely seamen -- who have become addicted to the game, Pagcor recently made the decision to block bets from abroad in local e-sabong platforms.
As of December 2019, of the 118,239 workers in POGO establishments, eight out of 10 workers (82.3 percent) are foreigners, and the remaining two workers (17.7 percent) are Filipinos, data from Pagcor showed.
For the first time in 19 years, the BPO sector is going to be number 2 to the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) industry, which is projected to take up 450,000 square meters of office space by the end of 2019.
Online gambling in the Philippines is going to overtake local casinos sooner than later. That?s the fearless forecast of Dennis Valdez, president of PhilWeb, the only authorized online gambling operator in the Philippines.