It’s history dates back to thousands of years and in the Philippines, its tradition dates back to early Spanish times. Thanks to the journey of Ferdinand Magellan and the documentation skills of Pigafetta, the world has come to know cockfighting and how it evolved as a form of gambling. This game has become a national past-time in the country for centuries and still thrives until today. It’s a game that’s ingrained in the country’s culture and almost all towns and cities in the Philippines host a sabong on special occasions.As a national past-time, sabong derby is both legal and illegal in the country. If you’re after the legal games, then you need to visit the countryside and major towns and look for regulated cockfights that are hosted in cockpits weekly. In many towns across the Philippines, you will notice sports arenas along the major highways. These sports arenas are not constructed for basketball, tennis, or other sports. These arenas are solely for cockfighting and sabong sports.Also, you will find smaller venues and locations that host sabong cockfighting matches called ‘tupada’ but these are illegal and beyond the supervision of the local governments. These ‘tupadas’ are normally hosted during special occasions or town fiestas.In sabong derby, there are two birds in play, both will carry knives or blades that are attached to their legs. Depending on the arrangement before play, the blades can be attached to the left or right leg. In this popular form of gambling, there is a ‘referee’ called the ‘sentensyador’ who will make the call. His decisions are final and not subject to complaints or appeal. In sabong live game, you make a bet on either of the birds. And in actual derbies, the bets are collected by the ‘kristo’. This arrangement has been practiced for decades and it’s now part of the colorful Filipino culture.Sabong Online BettingPopularityIt’s popularity never wavered even in the face of new technologies and the wave of online casinos. If you check out the online gambling landscape today, you’ll also find advertisements for sabong online betting which is also offered by top online casinos and sportsbooks. However, the rules and policies of the government differ when it comes to sabong online betting. Online sports betting laws and policies can be tricky in the Philippines. For traditional sports like basketball and horse racing, yes it’s legal to bet on these outcomes. And you can only do this in highly regulated and monitored bookies in the country.The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR is the primary office that’s in charge of regulating these bookies. For online sabong betting, the primary agency is the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). And based on the past pronouncements of the management, sabong betting online is not on its priority table.Source: sportbetting.ph
