The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) should make a move to collect the taxes from the operator of E-Sabong and winners of the said gambling application.
According to Senator Francis Tolentino, BIR and PAGCOR should follow what President Rodrigo Duterte wanted the government to earn plenty from e-sabong to contribute to the services given by the government like the financial assistance to jeepney drivers and infrastructure projects.
Tolentino recommended the taxation of e-sabong after finding out that the said gambling application and its winners are not taxed even though the betting reaches up to P2 to P3 billion per day, according to businessman Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang.
The senator added that the only payment being made by e-Ssabong operators is the regulatory fee or franchise fee to PAGCOR of Php 12, 500 per cock fight.
Since at the start, when PAGCOR gave the franchise to e-sabong in April 2020, there was no collected withholding tax in the winnings which should have a 20% tax like those of lotto and sweepstakes.
