Gambling is deeply woven into Filipino life, from pre-colonial and early-contact cockfighting to today’s state lottery and glittering casino resorts. The Philippines has one of Asia’s oldest and most varied betting cultures: sabong (cockfighting) was recorded at the moment of European contact, the illegal jueteng numbers game has run for over a century, PCSO lotto funds national charity, and Metro Manila’s Entertainment City hosts world-class casinos. Attitudes are genuinely split - gambling is both a cherished social ritual and a recurring source of moral, political and public-health concern.

A history stretching back centuries

Wagering is old here. When Magellan’s expedition reached Palawan in 1521, chronicler Antonio Pigafetta recorded bets being placed on cockfights - one of the earliest written references to Filipino gambling. Sabong (cockfighting) became embedded in village life, with nearly every town keeping a cockpit; it is often called the country’s national pastime and licensed cockpits still fill on Sundays and fiestas.

Under Spanish rule, Chinese-introduced numbers games took hold. Jueteng - in which bettors pick two numbers from 1 to 37 (38 in some provinces) - was already referenced in the 1887 Penal Code and was outlawed in the early 1900s, yet it never disappeared.

The games Filipinos actually play

  • Sabong (cockfighting): the cultural heavyweight, wagered live at licensed cockpits.
  • PCSO lotto and Small Town Lottery (STL): the legal state games (6/42, 6/49, 6/55), with proceeds funding charity and health programmes. STL was launched by the PCSO in 1987 partly to draw players away from jueteng.
  • Jueteng: the persistent illegal numbers game.
  • Casino games: baccarat, blackjack and roulette dominate the resort floors.
  • Online slots and e-bingo: offered by PAGCOR/PIGO-licensed platforms.
  • Card games: Pusoy, Pusoy Dos and Tong-its are fixtures at fiestas and family gatherings.

E-sabong: a boom and a reckoning

During the pandemic, cockfighting moved online as e-sabong, generating large revenues. But the disappearance of dozens of ‘sabungeros’ (cockfight participants) triggered a national outcry and a Senate inquiry. In May 2022 President Duterte suspended e-sabong operations, and the prohibition was subsequently formalised under President Marcos. It remains a cautionary tale about how quickly a beloved pastime can turn into a public-safety scandal.

The casino era

Since PAGCOR’s founding in the 1970s, the state has both operated and regulated casinos - historically through the Casino Filipino brand. From the 2010s, private integrated resorts transformed Metro Manila’s Entertainment City: Solaire Resort, Okada Manila and Newport World Resorts (formerly Resorts World Manila) now rank among Asia’s major gaming destinations, drawing regional tourists alongside local players.

Attitudes: ritual vs concern

Gambling sits at a cultural crossroads. For many Filipinos, a bet at the cockpit, a lotto ticket or a fiesta card game is ordinary social life, and PCSO framing ties gambling to charity. At the same time, the Catholic Church and many politicians warn about addiction, debt and family harm - concerns amplified by the reach of online betting and by the e-sabong scandal. A 2025-2026 Senate inquiry pushed for tighter advertising limits and stricter controls, with some lawmakers calling for an outright ban on online gambling.

18+ (21+ for casino and online gaming). If gambling stops being fun, PAGCOR’s National Problem Gambling Helpline is (02) 8248-9568 and Gamblers Anonymous Philippines is 0915 938 2808.

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