TAPIK sa balikat sa kampanya ng Games and Amusement Board (GAB) na masawata ang ilegal na on-line sabong ang inihaeng panukalang batas ni Abra Representative JB Bernos sa Mababang Kapulungan.

Hangarin ni Bernos sa House Bill No. 3867 na mabigyan nang karagdagang kapangyarihan at ‘ngipin’ ang GAB para mapatibay at mapalakas ang kapangyarihan na ma-regulate ang professional sports, kabilang ang sabong – na laman na rin nang naunang panukalang batas na inihaen niya sa 17th Congress.

“Increasing usage of off-site, online betting technologies circumvent the traditional methods of betting we know. Without the necessary skills and powers to monitor the compliance of these technologies to our national laws, even the most passive bettor will be enticed to place huge sums of money on the games because of easily accessible facilities,” pahayag ni Bernos sa kanyang paunang salita nang opisyal na ihaen ang panukalang batas kamakailan.

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Matindi ang pagnanais ni Bernos na pangunahan ng GAB ang pagpapatupad gamit ang mga bagong ‘rules and regulations’ para pangasiwaan ang sabong sa aktuwal na labanan, regulating and supervising live streaming and other forms of transmission from cockpits; collecting 3% of gross bets made through off-site betting; and prescribing policy guidelines on the issuance of permits for the import of gamecocks o ‘panabong na manok’

“Revenues drawn from these activities — from licensing of the technologies to the bets made out of these games — shall be a stable source of income to fund social service programs for the people,” pahayag ni Bernos.

Nakapalaman din sa bill ang pagbibigay ng kapangyarihan sa GAB na magkaroon ng ‘quasi-judicial powers’ para maresolba ang mga isyu o salungatan sa resulta ng mga laban sa professional sports, gayundin ang mas malawak na kapangyarihan sa pagbibigay ng professional sports license sa mga atleta, opisyal at empleyado na konektado sa naturang aktibidad.

“GAB, created by the virtue of Executive OrderNo. 392 in 1951, was tasked to regulate and supervise professional sports and allied activities to combat and prevent the existence and proliferation of illegal bookie joints and other forms of organized illegal gambling connected with all play-for-pay sports and amusement games,” sambit ni Bernos.