Recreation | Night Life | Gambling | Red District

Filipinos are fond of gambling.  There are cockfighting arenas, bingo halls and lottery outlets around the city.  Despite these gambling establishments, Cagayan de Oro does not have a casino due to pressures from civic groups and the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

Cockfightingor locally known as "Sabong"is a popular gambling sport in the Philippines.  The Gusa Sports Complex located in Gusa, National Highway is the only fully airconditioned cockfighting arena in the city.  Foreigners are advised to be with someone who is familiar with the game.  Bets are done through hand signals and frantic shouting. 

There are several Bingohalls in the city.  They are located in shopping centers like Limketkai Mall, SM City, Ororama MegaCenter and Ororama SuperCenter.  There are also electronic Bingo machines similar to a casino slot machine.   Minors are not allowed to play any Bingo game.

The Lotteryis also popular in the city.  Lottery outlets are found in all major shopping centers and almost anywhere in the city.  You can play the 6 digit, 4 digit and 3 digit lottery game.  Each game has a specific schedule every week.

Asking for a "balato"or a share of your winnings is a common practice among Filipinos.  This "balato" could range from small amounts of money to a snack treat.  However some people could be persistent and annoying in asking for a "balato".  This is a common problem in all gambling establishments.  Keep your winnings to yourself to avoid people from asking "balato".