The Cebu Jai-Alai Fronton

It was President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who ordered the reopening of the Cebu Jai-Alai Fronton. On June 1, 1978 Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1507 entitled "An Act Granting the Philippine Games and Holiday Corporation (today's Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR) a franchise to operate, construct and maintain a fronton for Basque Pelota and similar games of skill in the City of Cebu."

President Marcos explained that civic organizations, the press, and the church, including the Archbishop of Cebu, have brought to the attention of the authorities the proliferation of illegal numbers game, locally called  "Masiao," to the detriment of the citizenry.

Upon the recommendation of the Cebu Queens City Lions Club, Cebu Jaycess, and the Cebu Tourism Council, that the re-opening of the Jai-Alai Fronton would substantially minimize the problem associated with the operation of the illegal numbers game.

Marcos said it was the experience of the government in holding out Basque Pelota as a sport, as an amusement, as tourism attraction, and as base for revenue generation for the government's development projects since the enactment of Presidential Decree No. 180, has been most encouraging and successful.

The presidential decree provides that the games to be conducted by the Philippine Games and Holiday Corporation shall be under the supervision of the Games and Amusement Board.

The authorized games to be conducted in the City of Cebu for the maintenance of a Basque Pelota were the games of pala, raqueta, cestapunta, remonte, and mano. The betting shall be either direct or by means of electric and/or computerized totalizator.

The decree also provides a penal provision that any person who shall take or arrange bets on any basque pelota game or event in any outside the enclosure or where the games are played shall be punished by a fine of not less than P1,000 or more than P5,000.

The Fronton shall provide mechanical and/or computerized devices like the electric totalizator, machine directly connected to a computer in a display board, for the sale of tickets, including, those sold from the off-court stations, modern sound system and loud speakers, modern intercommunication devices and facilities, devices, and instruments for clean, honest and orderly Basque pelota games.

The receipts form betting corresponding to the fraction of ten centavos eliminated from the dividends paid to the winning tickets, commonly known as breakage, shall also be set aside for the abovementioned projects.

While the tax on winning of bettor on the Basque Pelota games be only 5 percent of the actual amount paid to the winners, while an additional five percent shall be levied on such winnings as special assessment thereon to be set aside to augment the amount allocated for the special and other projects. The games are only to be played on all days of the week except Sundays and official Holidays.