~snip~
It still happening as even there's a restriction from practicing this kind of gambling, illegal facilitator will come out from rural areas and will continue to facilitate secretly, they have that patrons who are willing to gamble even there's a big risk behind, and sometimes that's the reason why other local areas allows to create arena and let those gamblers to organized this gambling to implement taxes.
Instead of chasing those gamblers, they allow them to make money, and most of the time, there are officials from different part of government who also love betting from this kind of gambling.
That's probably why this cockfighting still operates without a permit and can hide from regulators who prohibit it. Bettors can go to locations that only they know to bet on cockfights without worrying about government raids. And indeed, taxes are paid to people who protect cockfights in the area so that bettors can still bet on cockfights. And it is no longer a secret that some officials receive money from betting on cockfights so that they appear to be protecting those who bet on them.
~snip~
I agree with you on the popularity of these games in some regions compared to other regions and that makes more sense as to why the government in some countries have paid a deaf ear to some of such games and has not had the time to regulate, restrict or even ban them, this is because several times we have seem this games being played at the traditional level and on special occasions that warrant such games being displayed.
Although cockfight is also very popular in my country, but only in the northern part of the country where we still have animal rearer that may want to enjoy and test the straight of their animals.
The government may be paying more attention to casinos so that cockfighting, which may only develop in a few areas, is not a concern. Moreover, if they see that there is no big money in cockfighting, they don't want to spend their time looking for cockfighting locations because other places can give bigger money.
So it is normal that in some areas, cockfighting is still popular among bettors, so those in different areas will come to that area just to bet.