You’ve probably wondered if you’re susceptible to the online sabong effect. You may be surprised to learn that many people are. The cockfighting arena is a male-dominated macho environment, and the boosted egos of the winners are the result of neuro-signals activated by the video. This is a similar mechanism that causes people to develop a craving for the bloodsport, and is also responsible for addiction. The cockfighting experience narrows the sabungero’s consciousness and hijacks their capacity for judgment. Because of this, they lose self-awareness and have a distorted rationality.
The Philippines’ police chief has issued an advisory to its 225,000-member force to avoid the online cockfighting and gambling industry. This advisory comes in the wake of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 31’sabungeros’, or cockfight aficionados. The police chief’s warning comes at a time when the Philippines is grappling with a sabong epidemic that is affecting its citizens.
Gambling is bad for the mind and body. Overgambling can lead to poverty, debt, and family strife. Online sabong increases the negative effects of gambling. In a recent column published in the Business Mirror, Susan V. Ople warned that e-sabong has become a popular pastime for OFWs. Increasingly, many of these players are minors, whose gambling addiction has already threatened their mental health.
