PCSO mulls remote betting to counter illegal online sabong

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) will submit to the House Committee on Appropriations a feasibility study on conducting off-cockpit and in-cockpit betting to counter illegal online sabong.

House Deputy Speaker David “JayJay” Suarez mentioned during Tuesday's budget deliberations that illegal online sabong continues to proliferate. 

“The problem is government is not earning because they (online sabong) are operating illegally,” Suarez said.

“So the question is now for us, how can we properly stop this, regulate it, and put it in such a way where government can earn income?” he added.

Suarez suggested that PCSO operate something similar to an OTB or off-track betting for horse races, “with no online apparatus or online capabilities.”

“Sa ngayon, wala pong malinaw na batas kung sino ang may mandato upang mamahala rito. Pero siguro ay magandang suriin natin kung sino ang mas may higit na kakayanan. Is it PAGCOR o ang PCSO?” said PCSO Chair Felix Reyes during the hearing, referring to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

(At present, there is no law saying who is mandated to oversee such thing. So I guess we should see who has the capability. Is it PAGCOR or PCSO?)

“Pero siguro kasi mayroon kaming kasanayan ng pagbebenta o page-entertain ng pagtaya on a permanent outlet dahil mayroon kaming lotto. Siguro kung sa amin ‘yan ibibigay, may kasanayan na pamamahala, kung iyon ay pahihintulutan,” he added.

(But we have experience when it comes to betting because we have lotto. We have the experience, if that will be entrusted to us.)

“Kung ito ay remote cockfighting, na kung saan ay kagaya ng nabanggit ninyo na OTB, na ang taya ay sa pamamagitan lamang ng mga tinatawag na off-cockpit betting, na ginagawa sa off-cockpit betting station. Puwede rin po sa loob ng sabungan, tinatawag nila in-cockpit betting station,” Reyes further said.

(If this is remote cockfighting like OTB, bets can be done off-cockpit through off-cockpit betting stations. Betting could also be done inside cockpits in what are called in-cockpit betting stations.)

With the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), the PCSO said they are looking for ways to increase their revenues and launch additional betting platforms.

Reyes mentioned that they plan to launch another variant of lotto that will be called Lotto Bilyonaryo. He, however, did not give details on this.

He also said they are talking to several companies that have chains of businesses where they can put up lotto outlets. —KBK, GMA Integrated News