For Pinoys, sabong is more than just a form of entertainment. It’s a source of much-needed stress relief from everyday life. It is very much ingrained in Philippine culture. On top of this, cockfighting is a billion-peso institution in the country.
While a lot of Filipinos are in the business of raising elite cockfighters for sabong, it is surpassed by another pastime related to sport: betting on competing gamefowls. But how does the betting system in cockfighting work? In this article, we’ll delve into the basics of the sabong betting system:
The Betting System Basics
First of all, you have to understand how the game works to place your bets. There are two roosters placed in the middle of the arena. The crowd favorite is called the ‘llamado.’ This rooster is tipped to win perhaps due to its form or breed. Its opponent is called the ‘dejado’ or the underdog in the match. As its name denotes, this rooster has a lower chance of winning.
The sabong betting system is pretty simple. This is why people from all walks of life get hooked on the sport. Like in the trading pits of commodity exchanges in Chicago or New York, bookies in the country utilize hand signals to denote their odds.
If a finger is pointed upwards, this means denominations of ‘Tens.’ When it’s pointed horizontally, this would mean that the bets are accepted in terms of ‘Hundreds.’ Finally, if the finger is downwards, the bets are accepted in ‘Thousands’ denominations.
There are two types of bets a person can place: one is in the gallery itself, while the other is placed with the pit manager of the sabungan or cockfighting arena. The bettors are required to pay a 10% arena fee called the plasada. On top of this, winners have to give 10% of their winnings as a tip.
The game in itself is pretty fast-paced and is very exciting to watch. Given its thrilling nature, a lot of fights can happen in a day. Thus, there are a lot of opportunities to make money.
Betting in Billions
While the bets in cockfighting start in denominations of tens, it can go up to millions of pesos for VIP betters. A lot of Filipino businessmen and politicians are fond of placing bets on elite prizefighters.
Just how lucrative is the cockfighting industry, you may wonder? Esquire Magazine claims that it is worth P50 billion per year. If that’s not impressive enough, a Philippine Star columnist even claims that the industry makes as much as P1.5 billion a day.
Betting on sabong has transcended the cockfighting arena. A lot of people place their bets on the web, which is in turn called e-sabong. The fights are live-streamed so bettors can still watch the fight wherever they are.
Given how much money the industry makes, lawmakers have proposed E-Sabong Bill or House Bill 8065. This law aims to levy a 5 percent tax on electronic cockfights in the country. Once passed, the proceeds from the taxes are intended to increase government funds for its COVID-19 response.
Raising winning gamefowls
It goes without saying that there is a ton of money in the world of cockfighting. This is why a lot of people are placing their bets, and even raising their own gamefowls. If you’re interested in raising prizefighters, you need to provide them with the right living environment.
For you to take care of your gamefowls, we at Philippine Ranging Nets provide durable yet affordable ranging nets. Check out our catalog of chicken nets to know more.
Know more about Philippine Ranging Nets and our quality chicken nets and poultry products by sending us an email at [email protected] or by calling +63977 007 0228 for orders and more information!
