Press Release - Cayetano pushes passage of Anti-Online Gambling Act amidst resurgence of e-sabong

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday called for the swift passage of the Anti-Online Gambling Act amidst persistent reports of e-sabong operations continuing in the country despite being suspended by the President.

This as the Committee on Games and Amusement revealed in a Senate hearing on January 25, 2024 that e-sabong continues to thrive and has evolved into smaller, more clandestine operations.

In 2022, during the height of disappearances of cockfighters and other issues linked to e-sabong, Cayetano swiftly filed Senate Bill No. 63, aimed at prohibiting all forms of online gambling and penalizing online wagering or betting.

"The pull of gambling, especially over the internet, makes it more alluring for our kababayan who cannot help but engage in such activities desperately hoping to immediately win large sums of money," the independent senator said.

"Online gambling platforms such as e-sabong have demonstrated how it can destroy the moral fiber of our nation," he added.

Then-President Rodrigo Duterte had terminated the operations of e-sabong in May 2022, citing its "social impact" on the people. This followed persistent calls from Cayetano about the evils of the game, which he had opposed both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.

Duterte's policy against e-sabong was continued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who ordered its continued suspension in December 2022.

Despite these measures, police have had their hands full arresting hundreds of individuals engaged in clandestine e-sabong nationwide.

Cayetano's bill proposes imposing maximum penalties, including imprisonment and fines for violators. It mandates, for instance, the dismissal of public employee offenders from service, permanent disqualification from holding public office, and prohibits them from voting or participating in elections.

The independent senator emphasized that prohibiting such activities nationwide -- as his home City of Taguig has done -- is key to progress.

"Wala pong sugal sa Taguig. Ipinagbawal po namin ang casino pagdating ni [Mayor] Lani. May gusto ring magtayo ng sabungan at nag-donate pa ng lupa. N'ung hindi po namin pinayagan, doon po umusbong ang Fort