Cockfighting

Two owners place their gamecock in the cockpit. The cocks fight until one of them dies or is critically injured. Historically, this was in a cockpit, a term which was also used in the 16th century to mean a place of entertainment or frenzied activity. William Shakespeare used the term in Henry V to specifically mean the area around the stage of a theatre. In Tudor times, the Palace of Westminster had a permanent cockpit, called the Cockpit-in-Court.

File:Cockfight Santangelo MAN Napoli.jpg, two cocks face off in front of a table displaying the purse for the winner between a caduceus and a palm of victory (National Archaeological Museum of Naples)]]

File:Fatimid Luster Plate with Cock Fight.jpg Luster Plate with Cock Fight. Cairo, 11th–12th century. Keir Collection of Islamic Art]]

Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport. There is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley civilization.Sherman, David M. (2002). Tending Animals in the Global Village. Blackwell Publishing. 46. {{ISBN|0-683-18051-7}}. The Encyclopedia Britannica (2008) holds:Cockfighting. Encyclopædia Britannica 2008

{{Blockquote|The sport was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, and other Eastern countries and was introduced into Ancient Greece in the time of Themistocles (c. 524–460 BC). For a long time the Romans affected to despise this "Greek diversion", but they ended up adopting it so enthusiastically that the agricultural writer Columella (1st century AD) complained that its devotees often spent their whole patrimony in betting at the side of the pit.}}

Based on his analysis of a Mohenjo-daro seal,{{Cite journal |last=Srinivasan |first=Doris |date=1975 |title=The So-Called Proto-śiva Seal from Mohenjo-Daro: An Iconological Assessment |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20062578 |journal=Archives of Asian Art |volume=29 |pages=47–58 |jstor=20062578 |issn=0066-6637}} Iravatham Mahadevan speculates that the city's ancient name could have been Kukkutarma ("the city [-rma] of the cockerel [kukkuta]").Iravatham Mahadevan. [http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/archive/00151/Dr_Iravatham_Mahade_151204a.pdf "'Address' Signs of the Indus Script" (PDF)]. Presented at the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010. 23–27 June 2010. The Hindu. However, according to a recent study,{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1017/S004393390700147X|title = Overview of chicken taxonomy and domestication|journal = World's Poultry Science Journal|volume = 63|issue = 2|pages = 285|year = 2007|last1 = Al-Nasser|first1 = A.|last2 = Al-Khalaifa|first2 = H.|last3 = Al-Saffar|first3 = A.|last4 = Khalil|first4 = F.|last5 = Albahouh|first5 = M.|last6 = Ragheb|first6 = G.|last7 = Al-Haddad|first7 = A.|last8 = Mashaly|first8 = M.|s2cid = 86734013}} "it is not known whether these birds made much contribution to the modern domestic fowl. Chickens from the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley (2500–2100 BC) may have been the main source of diffusion throughout the world." Also, "Within the Indus Valley, indications are that chickens were used for sport and not for food (Zeuner 1963)", cited in R.D. Crawford (1990). and that by 1000 BC they had assumed "religious significance".{{cite book|url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL2207173M/Poultry_breeding_and_genetics|title=Poultry Breeding and Genetics |author=R. D. Crawford |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |year=1990 |pages=10–11 |access-date=2014-05-10|isbn=9780444885579 |ol=2207173M }}

In China, the first recorded cockfight took place in 517 BC.{{cite news |author=Robert Joe Cutter |url=https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=12,20,29,33,35,45&post=22471#:~:text=The%20first%20recorded%20cockfight%20in,Chi%2Dsun%20and%20Hou%20clans. |title=Fowl Combat|work=Taiwan Today |date=1 July 1990|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) Dr. Jaushieh Joseph Wu|access-date=29 August 2022}}{{cite book|title=The Brush and the Spur: Chinese Culture and the Cockfight |author=Robert Joe Cutter |publisher=The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press |year=1989 |isbn=9789622014176 }}

Some additional insight into the pre-history of European and American secular cockfighting may be taken from The London Encyclopaedia:

{{Blockquote|At first cockfighting was partly a religious and partly a political institution at Athens; and was continued for improving the seeds of valor in the minds of their youth, but was afterwards perverted both there and in the other parts of Greece to a common pastime, without any political or religious intention.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=54BMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA113|title=The London Encyclopaedia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature, and Practical Mechanics, Comprising a Popular View of the Present State of Knowledge. Illustrated by Numerous Engravings, a General Atlas, and Appropriate Diagrams|first=Thomas|last=Curtis|date=19 January 2018|publisher=T. Tegg|access-date=19 January 2018|via=Google Books}}}}

An early image of a fighting rooster has been found on a 6th-century BC seal of Jaazaniah from the biblical city of Mizpah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem.{{cite web |url=http://www.arts.cornell.edu/jrz3/frames2.htm |title=Tell en-Nasbeh: Biblical Mizpah of Benjamin |publisher=The College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University}}{{cite book |title=A History of Ancient Israel and Judah |last1=Miller |first1=James M. |last2=Hayes |first2=John H. |year=1986 |publisher=John Knox Press |location=Louisville, Kentucky |isbn=978-0-664-21262-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofancient00mill/page/422 422] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofancient00mill/page/422 }} Remains of these birds have been found at other Israelite Iron Age sites, when the rooster was used as a fighting bird; they are also pictured on other seals from the period as a symbol of ferocity, such as the late-7th-century BC red jasper seal inscribed "Jehoahaz, son of the king",{{Cite journal|last=Taran|first=Mikhael|date=January 1975|title=Early Records of the Domestic Fowl in Ancient Judea|journal=Ibis|volume=117|issue=1|pages=109–110|doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.1975.tb04192.x}}{{cite book |title=Daily Life in Biblical Times |last=Borowski |first=Oded |year=2003 |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |location=Atlanta, Georgia |isbn=978-1-58983-042-4 |pages=69–70}} which likely belonged to Jehoahaz of Judah "while he was still a prince during his father's life".{{cite web|url=http://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1980/April/what-is-new-in-biblical-archeology |title=Ministry International Journal for Pastors – What is new in Biblical Archeology? by Siegfried H. Horn |publisher=Ministrymagazine.org |access-date=2014-05-10}}

The anthropologist Clifford Geertz wrote the influential essay Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, on the meaning of the cockfight in Balinese culture.

File:Reliefs of the Bayon (6597692067).jpg of cockfighting from the Khmer Empire, 12th/13th century]]

File:Hahnenkampf 2.jpg]]

File:Cock-spur used in the Philippine Islands for fighting cocks.png

File:Legal cockfighting Guiguinto coliseum8.jpg

In some regional variations, the birds are equipped with either metal spurs (called gaffs) or knives, tied to the leg in the area where the bird's natural spur has been partially removed. A cockspur is a bracelet (often made of leather) with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird. The spikes typically range in length from "short spurs" of just over an inch to "long spurs" almost two and a half inches long. In the highest levels of 17th century English cockfighting, the spikes were made of silver. The sharp spurs have been known to injure or even kill the bird handlers.{{cite news|author=Staff |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/rooster_revenge_cockfighting_bird_vdWgYmiTQbLmMBltVoPmxK |title=Cockfighting bird stabs, kills man |work=The New York Post |publisher=Nypost.com |date=2011-02-06 |access-date=2014-02-11}} In the naked heel variation, the bird's natural spurs are left intact and sharpened: fighting is done without gaffs or taping, particularly in India (especially in Tamil Nadu). There it is mostly fought naked heel and either three rounds of twenty minutes with a gap of again twenty minutes or four rounds of fifteen minutes each and a gap of fifteen minutes between them.{{cite web|url=http://www.banbloodsports.com/camp-cf.htm|publisher=Irish Council Against Bloodsports|access-date=February 22, 2008|title=Help expose illegal cockfighters}}

Cockfighting is common throughout Southeast Asia, where it is implicated in spreading bird flu.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/32659/title/Death-Match/|title=Death Match|website=The Scientist|access-date=19 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/animal_protection_group_calls_on_world_health_organization_to_combat_cockfighting_as_key_factor_in_spread_of_avian_flu.html |title=Animal Protection Group Calls on World Health Organization to Combat Cockfighting as Key Factor in Spread of Avian Flu |date=February 18, 2005 |access-date=February 22, 2008 |publisher=Humane Society of the United States |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219051724/http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/animal_protection_group_calls_on_world_health_organization_to_combat_cockfighting_as_key_factor_in_spread_of_avian_flu.html |archive-date=February 19, 2008 }} Cockfighting is a popular form of fertility worship in Southeast Asia.{{cite web|url=http://tuninst.net/Myanmar/Nat-worship/nat-in-classroom/nat-in-classroom.htm#fn02 |title=Using Spirit Worship to Infuse Southeast Asia into the K–16 Classroom |date=January 15, 2005 |publisher=Tun Institute of Learning |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121203160532/http://www.tuninst.net/Myanmar/Nat-worship/nat-in-classroom/nat-in-classroom.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2012 }}

{{Main|Cockfighting in India}}

The sport of cockfighting has long been outlawed in India, with the Supreme Court proclaiming the practice to be in direct violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-22|title=Man killed by chicken at illegal cockfight|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-man-killed-rooster-cockfight-razor-blades-andhra-pradesh-a9296531.html|access-date=2021-07-12|website=The Independent|language=en}} According to M Ravindranath Babu Superintendent, Indian Police, it is also considered a hijack of traditional festivals to promote illegal betting and gambling. Despite this, institutional resistance to government bans on cockfighting occurs. At India's ‘Sun God’ festival in 2012, the local Bharatiya Janata Party district committee campaigned for the right to have cock-fights. This was then agreed by local police if it took place inside the temples.

Cockfights are currently common in the southern Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka despite a countrywide ban imposed in 1960. It is a regional spectacle primarily taking place in January, coinciding with harvest festival celebrations. Like Jallikattu, Cock fighting (Seval Sandai) an ancient spectator sport is mentioned in Sangam literature Paṭṭiṉappālai and Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Hanengevecht TMnr 20027294.jpg, Indonesia, 1971]]

Cockfighting is a very old tradition in Balinese Hinduism, the Batur Bang Inscriptions I (from the year 933) and the Batuan Inscription (dated 944 on the Balinese Caka calendar) disclose that the tabuh rah ritual has existed for centuries.{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/01/23/bali039s-cockfighting-tradition-lives.html |title=Bali-Cockfighting Tradition Lives |work=The Jakarta Post |location=Jakarta, Indonesia |publisher=Thejakartapost.com |date=2002-01-24 |access-date=2014-02-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225114512/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2002/01/23/bali039s-cockfighting-tradition-lives.html |archive-date=2014-02-25 }}

In Bali, cockfights, known as tajen or Sabung ayam, are practiced in an ancient religious purification ritual to expel evil spirits.Bali Today: Love and social life, By Jean Couteau, Jean Couteau et al., pp 128–129, Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 2005 This ritual, a form of animal sacrifice, is called tabuh rah ("pouring blood").Bali, Sekala and Niskala: Essays on society, tradition, and craft, Fred B. Eiseman – page 240 – Periplus Editions, 1990 The purpose of tabuh rah is to provide an offering (the blood of the losing chicken) to the evil spirits. Cockfighting is a religious obligation at every Balinese temple festival or religious ceremony.Bali, Sekala and Niskala, Vol. 2: Essays on Society, Tradition, and Craft, Fred B. Eiseman Jr. Cockfights without a religious purpose are considered gambling in Indonesia, although it is still largely practiced in many parts of Indonesia. Women are generally not involved in the tabuh rah process. The tabuh rah process is held on the largest pavilion in a Balinese temple complex, the wantilan.

The American anthropologist Clifford Geertz published his most famous work, Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, on the practice of cockfights in Bali. In it, he argued that the cockfight served as a pastiche or model of wider Balinese society from which judgments about other aspects of the culture could be drawn.

File:MetroManilajf1612 41.JPG]]

Cockfighting was already flourishing in pre-colonial Philippines, as recorded by Antonio Pigafetta, the Italian diarist aboard Ferdinand Magellan's 1521 expedition.{{cite book|last=Dundes|first=Alan|title=The Cockfight: A Casebook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wy5VqKSYt8IC|year=1994|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press|isbn=978-0-299-14054-0|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wy5VqKSYt8IC&pg=PA137 137]}}

Cockfighting, locally termed sabong, remains a popular pastime in the Philippines, where both illegal and legal cockfights occur. Legal cockfights are held in cockpits every week, whilst illegal ones, called tupada or tigbakay,{{cite news |last1=Logrono |first1=Guam P. |last2=Lagunda |first2=Kevin A. |title=Cebu police collar 30 men for engaging in 'tigbakay' in Carcar, Pinamungajan |url=https://ph.news.yahoo.com/cebu-police-collar-30-men-063200305.html |access-date=24 January 2022 |work=Sunstar |date=23 January 2022}} are held in secluded cockpits where authorities cannot raid them. In both types, knives or gaffs are used. There are two kinds of knives used in Philippine cockfighting: single-edged blades (used in derbies) and double-edged blades; lengths of knives also vary. All knives are attached on the left leg of the bird, but depending on agreement between owners, blades can be attached on the right or even on both legs. Sabong{{cite news |last1=Jerry |first1=Mattrew P. |last2=Cheruda |first2=Dominic A. |title=Sabong in the Philippines, E Sabong |url=https://sabonghq.com/ |access-date=8 March 2023 |work=SabongHQ|date=21 February 2022}} and illegal tupada, are judged by a referee called sentensyador or koyme, whose verdict is final and not subject to any appeal.{{cite web |url=http://www.gmanews.tv/video/25601/Emergency-'Sentensyador' |title=Emergency: 'Sentensyador' |publisher=Gmanews.tv |date=2008-07-12 |access-date=2014-02-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403020911/http://www.gmanews.tv/video/25601/Emergency-'Sentensyador' |archive-date=2010-04-03 }} Bets are usually taken by the kristo, so named because of his outstretched hands when calling out wagers from the audience from memory.

The country has hosted several World Slasher Cup derbies, held biannually at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, where the world's leading game fowl breeders gather. World Slasher Cup is also known as the "Olympics of Cockfighting". The World Gamefowl Expo 2014 was held in the World Trade Center Metro Manila.

Male saffron finches{{cite news|last1=Peters|first1=Sharon|title=Authorities crack down on finch-fighting rings|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2010-03-10-finchfights10_ST_N.htm|access-date=26 April 2017|newspaper=USA Today|date=March 9, 2010}} and canaries have been used in fights on occasion.{{cite web|title=Police bust canary fighting operation |url=http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/crime/news_wtnh_shelton_police_bust_canary_fighting_operation_200907270720 |work=WTNH |access-date=November 25, 2011 |date=July 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824222241/http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/crime/news_wtnh_shelton_police_bust_canary_fighting_operation_200907270720 |archive-date=August 24, 2011 }}

[[File:Cockfighting laws world map.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Cockfighting laws around the world.

{{Legend|#0000FF|Nationwide ban on cockfighting}}

{{Legend|#3399FF|Nationwide ban on cockfighting, but some designated local traditions exempted}}

{{Legend|#800080|Some subnational bans on cockfighting}}

{{Legend|#FF0000|Cockfighting legal}}

{{Legend|#CCCCCC|see section Legal Status, otherwise no data}}]]

Article 3.8 of Law 14.346 on the Ill-Treatment and Acts of Cruelty to Animals of 1954 explicitly prohibits 'carrying out public or private acts of animal fights, fights of bulls and heifers, or parodies [thereof], in which animals are killed, wounded or harassed.'{{Cite web |url=https://www.fbcb.unl.edu.ar/investigacion/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/12/Ley-14346-Malos-tratos-y-actos-de-crueldad-a-los-animales.pdf |title=Ley 14346 – Malos Tratos y Actos de Crueldad a los Animales|publisher=National University of the Littoral |date=27 November 1954 |access-date=4 June 2020 |language=es}}

Cockfighting, and the possession of cockfighting equipment, is illegal in Australia and punishable with prison time.{{cite web |url=http://kb.rspca.org.au/Is-cock-fighting-illegal-in-Australia_238.html |title=Is cock fighting illegal in Australia? |work=RSPCA Australia knowledgebase |publisher=RSPCA Australia-Kb.rspca.org.au |date=2009-03-17 |access-date=2014-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217074453/http://kb.rspca.org.au/Is-cock-fighting-illegal-in-Australia_238.html |archive-date=2014-02-17 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/eighty-people-charged-400-roosters-seized-in-melbourne-cockfighting-raid/story-fnat7jnn-1226468391191|title=Dozens charged in major cockfight|access-date=19 January 2018|date=2012-09-09}}

In Belgium, cockfights have been prohibited since 1867. In 1929 all organised fights between animals were banned. In 1986 and 1991, the animal welfare act was amended by also criminalising attendance of cockfights. Offenders risk six months imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 euros. Since the 1990s, several people have been prosecuted for cockfighting.{{Cite news |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20200113_04803933/hanengevechten-zijn-al-153-jaar-verboden-maar-vallen-niet-uit-te-roeien |title=Hanengevechten zijn al 153 jaar verboden, maar vallen niet uit te roeien |author=Roel Damiaans |work=Het Belang van Limburg |date=13 January 2020 |access-date=4 June 2020|language=nl}}

Cockfighting (rinha de galos) was banned in 1934 with the help of President Getúlio Vargas through Brazil's 1934 constitution, passed on 16 July. Based on the recognition of animal rights in the Constitution, a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling resulted in the ban of animal related activities that involve claimed "animal suffering such as cockfighting, and a tradition practiced in southern Brazil, known as 'Farra do Boi' (the Oxen Festival)",{{cite web|url=http://www.animallaw.info/nonus/articles/ovbrazil.htm |title=Overview of Brazil's Legal Structure for Animal Issues – Lane Azevedo Clayton – Animal Legal & Historical Center = Publish Date: 2011 |publisher=Animallaw.info |access-date=2014-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731075539/http://www.animallaw.info/nonus/articles/ovbrazil.htm |archive-date=2013-07-31 }} stating that "animals also have the right to legal protection against mistreatment and suffering".{{cite web |url=http://www.joinuniverse.com/brazilian-animal-law/ |title=Brazilian animal law – Alex P |publisher=JoinUniverse |date=2012-06-19 |access-date=2014-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313203444/http://www.joinuniverse.com/brazilian-animal-law/ |archive-date=2013-03-13 |url-status=dead }}

Canada's Criminal Code includes animal cruelty legislation, which criminalize any kind of fighting or baiting of any animal.{{cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/annualstatutes/2008_12/page-1.html |title=Canada Justice Laws Website|date=15 November 2019 }} These laws have been amended and made more restrictive over time, and as of 2018 include bans on fighting, promoting, arranging and profiting from fights, as well as breeding, training and transporting of animals for the purpose of fights and keeping of arenas for the purpose of animal fights, for animals of any kind.{{cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-measures-to-strengthen-legal-protections-for-children-vulnerable-individuals-and-animals-697923891.html |title=Government of Canada announces measures to strengthen legal protections for children, vulnerable individuals, and animals}}

Chilean Law no. 20.380 on Animal Protection of 25 August 2009 explicitly exempts various forms of 'animal sports' in Article 16: 'The norms of this law will not apply to sports in which animals participate, such as rodeo, cowfights, movement to the rein and equestrian sports, which will be governed by their respective regulations.'{{Cite web |url=https://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=1006858&idVersion=2009-10-03 |title=Ley Núm. 20.380 Sobre Protección de Animales |work=LeyChile.cl |date=3 October 2009 |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es}}

In Colombia, cockfighting is a tradition, especially in the Caribbean region and in some areas of the Andean interior. Cockfights are held during the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in Valledupar. In August 2010, the Constitutional Court of Colombia rejected a lawsuit that sought to prohibit bullfighting, {{lang|es|corralejas}} and cockfighting with the argument that they constitute animal abuse. In March 2019, the same court confirmed such rule, under the argument that cockfighting and bullfighting are traditions with cultural roots in some municipalities of the country.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lafm.com.co/colombia/corte-dice-que-corridas-de-toros-y-peleas-de-gallos-son-de-arraigo-cultural|title=Corte dice que corridas de toros y peleas de gallos son de arraigo cultural|last=FM|first=La|date=2019-03-27|website=www.lafm.com.co|language=es|access-date=2019-04-10}} The Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Gallos de Pelea organizes an international cockfighting championship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/colombia-acoge-campeonato-peleas-gallos/238590-3|title=Colombia acoge campeonato de peleas de gallos|last=Semana|website=Colombia acoge campeonato de peleas de gallos|date=17 April 2011 |language=es|access-date=2019-04-10}}

Cockfighting was immortalized in the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, in episodes such as the events that led to the death of Prudencio Aguilar, or the fondness for it by José Arcadio Segundo.{{cite news |title=Love and Immolation in Argentina |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1981/08/16/love-and-immolation-in-argentina/9cf0bdac-cfc3-4198-8824-d89d5e059c55/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=16 August 1981}} Cockfighting was one of the main subjects of {{interlanguage link|La caponera|es}}, a TV adaptation of Juan Rulfo's novel, El gallo de oro, aired in Colombia and other countries in the region during the late 90s.

Cockfights have been illegal in Costa Rica since 1922.[http://www.nacion.com/archivo/Prohibicion-galleras_0_1268873263.html La Nacion] Prohibición de galleras 2012. In Spanish The government deems the activity as animal cruelty, public disorder and a risk for public health and is routinely repressed by the State's National Secretary for Animal Welfare.[http://www.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2009/mayo/19/nacionales1968359.html Al Dia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812005704/http://www.aldia.cr/ad_ee/2009/mayo/19/nacionales1968359.html |date=2011-08-12 }} in Spanish The activity is also rejected by most of the population, as 88% of Costa Ricans dislike cockfights according to recent polls of the National University.{{cite report|url=https://www.academia.edu/30339271|title=Informe de Encuesta: Percepción sobre aspectos de la coyuntura y las culturas políticas en Costa Rica, 2016|first1=José Andrés |last1=Díaz-González|first2=Laura Solis|last2=Bastos|access-date=19 January 2018}} Since 2017, the activity is punishable with up to two years of prison.{{cite news |last1=Sequeira |first1=Aarón |title= Maltratar a un animal será castigado hasta con 2 años de cárcel; multas serán hasta de ¢212.000 |url= http://www.nacion.com/nacional/Diputados-aprueban-maltratar-animales-tercera_0_1633036763.html |access-date= 13 May 2017 |agency=La Nación |date= 2017}}

In Cuba, cockfighting is legal and popular, although gambling on matches has been banned since the 1959 Revolution.Nick Kirkpatrick, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2015/12/31/cockfighting-has-deep-roots-in-cuba/ Cockfighting has deep roots in Cuba], Washington Post (December 31, 2015).Sarah Marsh & Alexandre Meneghini, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-cockfighting/cockfighting-in-cuba-clandestine-venues-state-arenas-idUSKBN17M1VF Cockfighting in Cuba: clandestine venues, state arenas], Reuters (April 20, 2017). The state has opened official arenas, locally known as "galleras", including a 1,000-seat venue in Ciego de Ávila, but there are also banned underground cockfighting pits.

Cockfighting was so common following the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century that there were arenas in every urban and rural town. The first official known document about cockfighting in Cuba dates from 1737. It is a royal decree asking, to the governor of the island, a report about the inconveniences that might cause cockfights "with the people from land and sea" and asking for information about rentals of the games. The Spaniard Miguel Tacón, Lieutenant General and governor of the colony, banned cockfighting by a decree dated on October 20, 1835, limiting these spectacles only to holidays.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

In 1844, a decree dictated by the Captain General of the island, Leopoldo O'Donnell, forbade non-white people to attend these shows. During the second half of the 19th century, many authorizations were conceded for building arenas, until General Juan Rius Rivera, then civilian governor in Havana, prohibited cockfighting by a decree of October 31, 1899, and later the Cuban governor, General Leonard Wood, dictated the military order no. 165 prohibiting cockfights in the whole country from June 1, 1900.Agustín Pupo Domenech, El Gallo Fino Cubano, 151 pp. Editorial SI-MAR, S.A., La Habana, Cuba 1995 ({{ISBN|9597054051}}).

In the first half of the 20th century, legality of cockfights suffered several ups and downs.Revista Carteles, September 2, 1956.

In 1909, the then-Cuban president José Miguel Gómez, with the intention of gaining followers, allowed cockfights once again, and then regulations were agreed for the fights.Reglamento para las lidias de gallos, Ayuntamiento de Holguín, Cuba 1909

Up to the beginning of 1968, cockfights used to be held everywhere in the country, but with the purpose of stopping the bets, the arenas were closed and the fights forbidden by the authorities. In 1980, authorities legalized cockfights again and a state business organization was created with the participation of the private breeders, grouped in territories. Every year the state organization announces several national tournaments from January to April, makes trade shows and sells fighting cocks to clients from other Caribbean countries.

file:Club Gallistico La Romana RD.jpg

In the Dominican Republic, cockfighting is legal, but according to Dominican Today 'increasingly rejected by society' as of December 2018.{{Cite news |url=https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2018/12/14/dominicans-beware-of-us-total-ban-on-cockfights/ |title=Dominicans beware of US total ban on cockfights |work=Dominican Today |date=14 December 2018 |access-date=5 June 2020}} There is at least one arena (gallera) in every town, whereas in bigger cities larger coliseos can be found. Important fights are broadcast on television and newspapers have dedicated pages to cockfights and the different trabas, the local name for gamefowl breeding grounds. Those dedicated to the breeding and training of fighting cocks are called {{lang|es|galleros}} or {{lang|es|traberos}}. The cocks are often outfitted with special spurs made from various materials (ranging from plastic to metal or even carey shell) and fights are typically to the death.

Cockfighting and cockfighting betting is legal on licensed venues.{{Cite journal |title=Decreto-lei № 6/2016 de 20 de abril – Regime Jurídico do Licenciamento, Exploração e Controlo da Atividade dos Jogos Sociais e de Diversão, Máquinas de Jogo e Jogos Tradicionais |url=http://www.mj.gov.tl/jornal/public/docs/2016/serie_1/SERIE_I_NO_15.pdf |journal=Jornal da República |language=pt |location=Díli |publication-date=2016-04-20 |volume=1 |issue= |pages=9214–9226}}

Holding cockfights is a crime in France, but there is an exemption under subparagraph 3 of article 521–1 of the French penal code for cockfights and bullfights in locales where an uninterrupted tradition exists for them. Thus, cockfighting is allowed in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, where it takes place in a small number of towns including Raimbeaucourt, La Bistade{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article717208.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718192429/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article717208.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2011| title=British fans flock to French cockfights|newspaper=The Times|author1=Foggo, D. |author2=Campbell, M.|date=January 22, 2006|access-date=February 22, 2008 | location=London}} and other villages around Lille.{{cite web|url=http://www.guide-nord-pas-calais.com/les_combats_et_concours_de_coqs_dans_le_nord_pas_de_calais.htm|title=Le Guide bu Nord de Pas de Calais|language=fr|access-date=February 22, 2008|publisher=Region Nord Pas de calais|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205214105/http://www.guide-nord-pas-calais.com/les_combats_et_concours_de_coqs_dans_le_nord_pas_de_calais.htm|archive-date=February 5, 2008}} However, the construction of new cockfighting areas is prohibited, a law upheld by the Constitutional Council of France in 2015.[http://www.france24.com/en/20150731-france-highest-court-upholds-ban-new-cockfighting-arenas French court upholds ban on new cockfighting arenas], France24 (July 31, 2015).

Cockfighting is also legal in some French Overseas Territories.

Cockfights have no tradition in Germany. They are illegal under increasingly stringent criminal law since 1871.{{Cite web |url=https://lexetius.com/StGB/360,14 |title=Strafgesetzbuch für das Deutsche Reich vom 15. Mai 1871 Paragraf 360 Absatz 13|publisher=lexetius.com |access-date=29 August 2022 |language=de}}{{Cite web |url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=dra&datum=1933&page=1112&size=45 |title=Tierschutzgesetz vom 24. November 1933 §2,3|publisher=Österreichische Nationalbibliothek |access-date=29 August 2022 |language=de}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tierschg/BJNR012770972.html#BJNR012770972BJNG000203377 |title=Tierschutzgesetz Ausfertigungsdatum 24.07.1972 §3 Absätze 1b, 7, 8, 8a|publisher=Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bundesamt für Justiz |access-date=29 August 2022 |language=de}}

Cockfighting is legal in Haiti. Nevins (2015) described it as 'the closest thing to a national sport in Haiti', being organised every Sunday morning in places across the country. Sharp spurs are attached to the roosters' feet to make them extra lethal, and the fight usually ends with the death of one of the animals.{{Cite book |last=Nevins |first=Debbie |date=2015 |title=Haiti: Third Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pItmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA110 |location=New York |publisher=Cavendish Square Publishing |page=110 |isbn=9781502608031 |access-date=5 June 2020}}

In Honduras, under Article 11 of 'Decree no. 115-2015 ─ Animal Protection and Welfare Act' that went into effect in 2016, dog and cat fights and duck races are prohibited, while 'bullfighting shows and cockfights are part of the National Folklore and as such allowed'.{{Cite web |url=http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/hon168198.pdf |title=Decreto Nº 115-2015 ─ Ley de Protección y Bienestar Animal |publisher=Ecolex |date=2016 |access-date=9 June 2020 |language=es |archive-date=9 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609005743/http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/hon168198.pdf |url-status=dead }}

File:COCK FIGHT.JPG

The Supreme Court of India has banned cockfighting as a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, but it remains popular, especially in the rural coast of Andhra Pradesh, with large amount of betting involved, especially around the festival of Sankranti.{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-puts-interim-ban-on-cock-fights-sport-in-AP/articleshow/45863914.cms|title=SC puts interim ban on 'cock-fights' sport in AP|newspaper=Times of India|date=January 13, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/This-Sankranti-Rs-1000-cr-riding-on-roosters/articleshow/45838722.cms|title=This Sankranti, Rs 1,000 cr riding on roosters|newspaper=Times of India|date=January 11, 2015}}{{cite web|author=Srinivasa Rao Apparasu|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/banned-but-cockfighting-spikes-in-coastal-andhra-pradesh-during-sankranti/story-gmdw8EHR3Xe6Z8tbg5jGKN.html|title=Banned, but cockfighting spikes in coastal Andhra Pradesh during Sankranti |newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=January 17, 2018}}

All forms of gambling, including the gambling within secular cockfighting, were made illegal in 1981 by the Indonesian government, while the religious aspects of cockfighting within Balinese Hinduism remain protected. However, secular cockfighting remains widely popular in Bali, despite its illegal status.{{Cite news|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/01/cockfighting-the-last-hidden-link-to-balis-warlike-past/|title=The Spectator|last=Cook|first=William|date=January 3, 2015|work=magazine|access-date=October 24, 2016}}

Cockfighting is illegal but widespread in Iraq. The attendees come to gamble or just for the entertainment. A rooster can cost up to $8,000, or ₹23,000.00. The most-prized birds are called Harati, which means that they are of Turkish or Indian origin, and have muscular legs and necks.{{cite web |url=http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/news/cockfighting-in-iraq-a-different-kind-of-battle_6031 |title=Cockfighting in Iraq: a different kind of battle |publisher=Yourmiddleeast.com |date=2012-04-11 |access-date=2014-02-11 |archive-date=2013-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213203247/http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/news/cockfighting-in-iraq-a-different-kind-of-battle_6031 |url-status=dead }}

Cockfighting was introduced to Japan from China in the early 8th century and rose to popularity in the Kamakura period and the Edo period.Louis Frédéric, Japan Encyclopedia (trans. Käthe Roth: Harvard University Press, 2002), pp. 132–33. Cockfighting endured in some Japanese regions even after being banned in 1873, during the Meiji period.Frank Stewart & Katsunori Yamazato, Voices from Okinawa: Featuring Three Plays by Jon Shirota (University of Hawaii Press, 2009), p. 56.

Only ritual cockfighting as done for Gawai celebrations in the state of Sarawak is allowed under strict regulations;{{cite news |title=Cockfighting to serve only as a cultural showcase |work=The Borneo Post |date=22 April 2019 |page=9}} licenses given however can be frozen or revoked at will by the Sarawakian government.{{cite book |title=Veterinary Public Ordinance 1999 |publisher=State Attorney-General's Chambers Sarawak |url=https://lawnet.sarawak.gov.my/lawnet_file/Ordinance/ORD_CAP.32_VETERINARY_LAWNET.pdf}} Cockfighting venues are often raided by Sarawakian police from time to time. All other forms of animal fighting and baiting are prohibited under the Animal Welfare Act (2015).{{cite web |url=http://api.worldanimalprotection.org/country/malaysia |title=Malaysia |author=World Animal Protection |accessdate=October 23, 2021}}

Betting on cock fights is a common and legal way of gambling in Madagascar.{{Cite news |last=Haffejee |first=Ihsaan |date=2015-06-24 |title=In Madagascar, cockfighting is big business |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2015/6/24/in-madagascar-cockfighting-is-big-business |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912123049/https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2015/6/24/in-madagascar-cockfighting-is-big-business |archive-date=2024-09-12 |access-date=2024-10-31 |work=Al Jazeera}}{{Cite news |last=Donadieu |first=Pierre |date=2017-03-09 |title=Madagascan cock fighters claw their way to glory |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/760301/madagascan-cock-fighters-claw-their-way-to-glory.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309092247/https://www.modernghana.com/news/760301/madagascan-cock-fighters-claw-their-way-to-glory.html |archive-date=2017-03-09 |access-date=2024-10-31 |work=ModernGhana |via=AFP}}

File:Mexico cockfight (cropped).jpg

There are cockfight bans in the country's capital, Mexico City,{{Cite web |url=http://www.m-x.com.mx/2015-04-29/prohiben-las-peleas-de-gallos-y-perros-en-el-df-pero-no-las-corridas-de-toros/ |title=Prohiben las peleas de gallos y perros en el df pero no las corridas de toros |access-date=2020-04-24 |archive-date=2020-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923114900/https://www.m-x.com.mx/2015-04-29/prohiben-las-peleas-de-gallos-y-perros-en-el-df-pero-no-las-corridas-de-toros/ |url-status=dead }} and in the states of Sonora and Coahuila since September 11, 2012, and in Veracruz since November 6, 2018.[http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/09/12/estados/032n1est Prohíbe Coahuila peleas de gallos y de otros animales (Coahuila prohibits fighting of roosters and other animals)]

Cockfighting is tolerated in the Mexican states of Michoacán, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Veracruz, mostly during regional fairs and other celebrations. Cockfights are performed in palenques (pits). Cockfighting remains legal in the municipality of Ixmiquilpan and throughout Mexico.[http://digg.com/video/tradition-cockfighting-mexico The Tradition of Cockfighting in Mexico], Digg.

The two parties to the bird fights are traditionally distinguished by red and green, typically by wearing a scarf or badge hanging on the belt. Cockfighting may be combined with a musical show. Fairs and regional festivals of the country's municipalities are held in venues called "palenques" of roosters. These consist of a ring made of wood whose center is full of compacted earth for the best 'performance' of the roosters. In the center, a box 4 meters per side and lines that cross from center to center each side are marked with lime. Finally, the last square, measuring 40 cm on each side, is marked in the center of the arena, where the roosters are taken the third time they are released.

In the Netherlands, organising or attending cockfights is illegal and punishable by up to three years imprisonment, or a fine of up to 20,500 euros.{{Cite news |url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/editienl/artikel/4513876/hanengevechten-nederland-dit-zijn-barbaarse-praktijken |title=Hanengevechten in Nederland: 'Dit zijn barbaarse praktijken' |work=RTL Nieuws |date=11 December 2018 |access-date=16 May 2020 |language=nl}}

The act of cockfighting is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, as is the possession, training and breeding of cocks for fighting.{{cite web |title=Animal Welfare Act 1999 |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1999/0142/latest/DLM50434.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_animal+welfare_resel_25_a&p=1 |website=www.legislation.govt.nz |access-date=31 August 2018}}

Cockfighting was a popular sport in rural Pakistan; however, "betting is illegal under the Prevention of Gambling Act 1977".{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/01/10/city/islamabad/cockfight-signifies-cruel-culture/ |title=Cockfight signifies cruel culture – Thursday, 26 July 2012 |publisher=Pakistantoday.com.pk |date=2012-01-09 |access-date=2014-05-10}} Betting is illegal, but police often turn a blind eye towards it.{{Citation needed|date=October 2014}}{{Cite web|last=United States Department of State|date=4 August 2011|title=Pakistan: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/160472.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=9 September 2021|website=United States Department of State|publisher=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320141033/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/160472.pdf |archive-date=2020-03-20 }} In Sindh, people are fond of keeping a fighting cock breed known as Sindhi Aseel. These cocks are noted for being tall, heavy and good at fighting. Another popular breed is called Mianwali Aseel. In Sindh, gamblers use almonds and other enhancing medicines to feed the fighter cocks.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Law 308 on the Protection of Animals was approved by the National Assembly of Panama on 15 March 2012. Article 7 of the law states: 'Dog fights, animal races, bullfights – whether of the Spanish or Portuguese style – the breeding, entry, permanence and operation in the national territory of all kinds of circus or circus show that uses trained animals of any species, are prohibited.' However, horse racing and cockfighting were exempt from the ban.{{Cite web |url=https://www.animanaturalis.org/n/23744/panama_prohibe_las_corridas_de_toros |title=Panamá prohíbe las corridas de toros |publisher=Anima Naturalis |date=15 March 2012 |access-date=6 June 2020 |language=es}}

Organising fights between all animals, both in public and private, is prohibited in Paraguay under Law No. 4840 on Animal Protection and Welfare, promulgated on 28 January 2013. Specifically:

• 'The use of animals in shows, fights, popular festivals and other activities that imply cruelty or mistreatment, that can cause death, suffering or make them the object of unnatural and unworthy treatments' is prohibited (Article 30).
• 'Training domestic animals to carry out provoked fights, with the goal of holding a public or private show' is considered an 'act of mistreatment'. (Article 31)
• 'The use of animals in shows, fights, popular festivals, and other activities that imply cruelty or mistreatment, which may cause death, suffering or make them subject to unnatural or humiliating treatment' is considered a 'very serious infraction' (Article 32), which are punishable by between 501 and 1500 minimum daily wages (jornales mínimos, Article 39), and the perpetrator may be barred from 'acquiring or possessing other animals for a period that may be up to 10 years' (Article 38).{{Cite web |url=https://www.bacn.gov.py/leyes-paraguayas/954/de-proteccion-y-bienestar-animal |title=Ley Nº 4840 / de Proteccion y Bienestar Animal |work=Leyes Paraguayas |publisher=Biblioteca y Archivo del Congreso de la Nación |date=30 January 2013 |access-date=5 June 2020 |language=es}}

According to the Encyclopedia of Latino Culture, Peru "has probably the longest historical tradition" with cockfighting, with the practice possibly dating back to the 16th century. Cockfighting is legal and regulated by the government in Peru. Most pits (coliseos) in the country are located in Lima. Cockfighting and bullfighting are exempt from Peru's animal protection laws.

In October 2018, over 5,000 Peruvians signed a petition that called for a constitutional ban on "all cruel shows using animals" including cockfighting and bullfighting, which was accepted and taken into consideration by the Supreme Court of Peru. However, with only three of the five required judges agreeing with the petition, on 25 February 2020 the Court ruled that it could not declare the animal fighting practices unconstitutional, leaving the applicants with no further option of appeal. A week before the verdict, thousands of other people had marched through the streets of Lima in support of the animal fighting practices.{{Cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/cock-and-bull-fighting-are-legal-perus-top-court-rules/a-52536694 |title=Cock and bull fighting are legal, Peru's top court rules |work=Deutsche Welle |date=26 February 2020|access-date=4 June 2020}}

File:Cock Fight Arina Davao.jpg]]

There is no nationwide ban of [https://getmanoknapula.pro cockfighting in the Philippines] but since 1948, cockfighting is prohibited every Rizal Day on December 30 where violators can be fined or imprisoned due to the Republic Act No. 229.{{cite news|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/18707-banned-on-rizal-day-cockfighting,-horse-racing-and-jai-alai|title=Banned on Rizal Day: cockfighting, horse-racing and jai-alai|website=Rappler|date=28 December 2012|access-date=21 August 2015}} It further is supplemented by Presidential Decree No. 449 or the Anti-Cockfighting Law of 1974 which allows cockfights only on Sundays, certain holidays, and on certain other occasions, and only at licensed cockpits.{{Cite web|title=Bzzzzz: Mandaue cockpit violated PD 449 but law may not cover bettors|url=https://ph.news.yahoo.com/bzzzzz-mandaue-cockpit-violated-pd-110500455.html|access-date=2022-02-18|website=ph.news.yahoo.com|language=en-PH}}

On March 14, 2020, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that cockfighting is temporarily banned in the Philippines due to the prohibition of mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic and community quarantines across the Philippines.{{cite news|author=Noreen Jazul|url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/03/16/dilg-bans-cockfighting-until-april-14|title=DILG bans cockfighting until April 14|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|date=March 16, 2020|access-date=April 27, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/14/20/dilg-bans-local-officials-traveling-overseas-amid-covid-19-crisis|title=DILG bans local officials traveling overseas amid COVID-19 crisis|website=ABS-CBN News|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=April 27, 2020}}

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte banned cockfighting in Davao City since April 16, 2020, also due to the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/258187-davao-city-bans-cockfights-small-town-lottery-coronavirus|title=Davao City bans cockfights, small-town lottery|website=Rappler|date=April 17, 2020|access-date=April 27, 2020}}

The Philippines has deep cultural roots connected to cockfighting that goes back to ancient times. It can be said that the Filipinos brought a major wave of cockfighting over to Hawaii when the Filipinos first arrived, even though it was widely condemned by locals of the area.{{Citation |last1=Anderson |first1=Robert N. |title=Cockfighting |date=1984 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvp7d500.11 |work=Filipinos in Rural Hawaii |pages=151–172 |access-date=2023-11-03 |publisher=University of Hawai'i Press |isbn=978-0-8248-0821-1 |last2=Coller |first2=Richard |last3=Pestano |first3=Rebecca F.|jstor=j.ctvp7d500.11 }}

The popularity of cockfighting in the Philippines has extended into the digital space, with the advent of online sabong or e-sabong. This virtual iteration allows enthusiasts to participate in and bet on cockfights via internet streaming. The surge in online cockfighting has been significantly facilitated by the integration of modern technologies, particularly through online casino platforms that host these events. Payment apps like GCash have also played a crucial role, offering a convenient and secure method for placing bets and managing transactions online.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

Cockfighting in Poland is banned. The law bans any animal cruelty in general, there are no specific laws for cockfighting. Likewise in many other European countries, this activity used to be popular up to the 18th century. In the Silesia area it used to be popular longer, even in the 19th century. It was usually held on the Day of Saint Gall (16 October).{{cite book |first=Barbara |last=Ogrodowska |title=Zwyczaje, obrzędy i tradycje w Polsce |publisher= Verbinum |location=Warsaw |date=2001 |pages=81–83 |isbn=83-7192-128-4}} This activity was banned on most of the territory of Poland after the Partitions of Poland and before the country regained its independence in 1918. In western areas that were held by Germany, it was banned in 1871 by § 360 p. 13 of the Penal Code of the German Reich. In eastern areas that were held by Russia, it was banned in 1903 by § 287 of the Penal Code of Nikolay Stefanovich Tagantsev. After regaining independence these laws were still in power until new laws were passed. The first animal-cruelty law in independent Poland was passed in 1928 as a presidential decree{{cite web |url=https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU19280360332/O/D19280332.pdf |title=Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczpospolitej z dnia 22 marca 1928 (Polish)}} and it was in power until 1997. It was added to the official Penalty Code in 1997 by § 35 points 1–2 in chapter 11. Currently, the penalty for the act is up to 3 years in prison or it might be up to 5 years if the cruelty is more drastic.{{cite web |url=https://sip.lex.pl/akty-prawne/dzu-dziennik-ustaw/ochrona-zwierzat-16798854/roz-11 |title=Chapter 11 of Penalty Code of 1997 (Polish)}}

Cockfights are illegal in Romania under article 25.3 lit. c) of the Law 205/2004, with punishments ranging from 2 to 7 years imprisonment.{{Cite web |title=LEGE (A) 205 26/05/2004 - Portal Legislativ |url=https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/255132#:~:text=c)-,organizarea%20de%20lupte%20%C3%AEntre%20animale%20sau%20cu%20animale;,-d)%20zoofilia |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=legislatie.just.ro}}

Cockfighting is banned in Spain except in two Spanish regions: the Canary Islands and Andalusia. In Andalusia, however, the activity has virtually disappeared, surviving only within a program to maintain the fighting breed "combatiente español" coordinated by the University of Córdoba.{{Cite web|url=http://www.canalsur.es/noticias/peleas-de-gallo-una-actividad-legal-en-andalucia/1163637.html|title=Peleas de gallo, una actividad legal en Andalucía|website=canalsur.es|language=es|access-date=2019-03-18}} Spain's Animal Protection Law of 1991 recognizes an exception for these regions based on cultural heritage and a history of cockfighting in the region.Octavio Toledo, [https://elpais.com/elpais/2015/02/16/inenglish/1424081935_993566.html Cockfighting ban for Canary Islands fizzles out in Congress], El País (February 16, 2015).Aleksin H. Ortega, "Cockfighting" in Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaneras, Vol. 1 (ed. Charles M. Tatum: Greenwood, 2014), pp. 757–58. Animal rights organizations have sought to ban the bloodsport nationwide, but have not been successful in advancing legislation through the Spanish Parliament.

=== Ukraine ===

In Ukraine, cockfights, as well as fights involving other animals (dogs, geese, etc.) are prohibited by Art. 25 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Animals from Cruelty" and Art. 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. For organizing cockfights, the culprit can be sentenced to a fine of up to 850 hryvnias (ukrainan currency) or imprisonment for up to six months.

Cockfighting was banned outright in England and Wales and in the British Overseas Territories with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835. Sixty years later, in 1895, cockfighting was also banned in Scotland, where it had been relatively common in the 18th century.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKjYyGF8hSwC|title=Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports |author=Collins, T.|publisher=Routledge|access-date=December 5, 2007|year=2005 | isbn=978-0-415-35224-6}} A reconstructed cockpit from Denbigh in North Wales may be found at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff{{cite web|url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/buildings/cockpit/?display_mode=mobile|title=Cockpit|publisher=National Museum Wales|access-date=15 November 2013}} and a reference exists in 1774 to a cockpit at Stanecastle in Scotland.{{cite book|author=McClure, David |year=1994|title=Tolls and Tacksmen|publisher=Ayr Arch & Nat Hist Soc. Ayrshire Monograph No. 13|page=53}} One of the few perfect examples of a cockpit which still exist today can be found on Chislehurst Common, in southeast London.{{Cite web |title=A history of the Cockpit – Chislehurst Commons |url=https://chislehurstcommons.uk/news/a-history-of-the-cockpit/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |language=en-GB}}

According to a 2017 report by the RSPCA, cockfighting in England and Wales was at a five-year high.{{cite web|url= https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/841243/cockfighting-UK-popular-Pakistani-community-RSPCA-illegal-fights|website= www.express.co.uk|title= Cockfighting|date= 15 August 2017|accessdate= 3 September 2021}}

File:PR Cockfight.jpg, 1937]]

{{As of|2023}}, cockfighting is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. The last state to implement a state law banning cockfighting was Louisiana; the Louisiana State Legislature voted to approve a ban in June 2007,{{cite web |url=http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6493974 |title=Louisiana State House passes Cockfighting ban |publisher=Wafb.com |date=2014-02-04 |access-date=2014-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525171023/http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6493974 |archive-date=2009-05-25 |url-status=dead }} which went into effect in August 2008.[http://www.azcentral.com/lavoz/spanish/us/articles/us_123936.html Legisladores de Luisiana aprueban prohibición a pelea de gallos] June 27, 2007 La Voz {{in lang|es}}

As of 2013:

• Cockfighting is a felony in 40 states and the District of Columbia.[http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/animal_fighting/cockfighting_chart_2013.pdf Fact Sheet: Cockfighting: State Laws] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325010659/http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/animal_fighting/cockfighting_chart_2013.pdf |date=2016-03-25 }}, Humane Society of the United States (updated April 2013).
• The possession of birds for fighting is prohibited in 39 states and the District of Columbia.
• Being a spectator at a cockfight is prohibited in 43 states and the District of Columbia.
• The possession of cockfighting implements is prohibited in 15 states.

Additionally, the 2014 farm bill, signed into law by President Barack Obama, contained a provision making it a federal crime to attend an animal fighting event or bring a child under the age of 16 to an animal fighting event.{{cite web|author=Humane Society Legislative Fund |url=http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news_briefs/2014/02/farm_bill_passed_020414.html|title=Farm Bill Strengthens Animal Fighting Law, Maintains State Farm Animal Protection Laws|publisher=Humane Society of the United States|date=February 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025151239/http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news_briefs/2014/02/farm_bill_passed_020414.html |archive-date=2014-10-25 }}

The cockfighting ban was further extended by federal law to include U.S. territories—American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—effective at the end of 2019, as signed into law in the 2018 farm bill by President Donald Trump."Public Law 115-334 – Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018", [https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-115publ334 GOVinfo], 5 March 2021. In Puerto Rico, cockfighting is popular and has been considered a "national sport" since at least the 1950s.{{cite news | title=Cock-fighting in Puerto Rico |newspaper=Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907–1954) | date=4 May 1953 | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62475942 | access-date=29 October 2019}} According to a National Park Service report, it generates about $100 million annually. There are some 200,000 fighting birds annually on the island. Puerto Rico's Cockfighting Commission regulates 87 clubs, but many non-government sanctioned "underground" cockfighting operations exist.Meredith Hoffman, [https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvxy73/cockfighting-is-puerto-ricos-most-resilient-industry Cockfighting is Puerto Rico's Most Resilient Industry], Vice (February 16, 2016). On December 18, 2019, estimating that cockfighting employs 27,000 people and has a value to the economy of about $18 million, Puerto Rico passed a law attempting to keep the practice legal despite the imminent federal ban.{{cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/puerto-rico-defies-us-cockfighting-ban-court-battle-likely/ar-BBY9RpQ |title=Puerto Rico defies US cockfighting ban; court ban likely |first=Ray |last=Sanchez |website=CNN |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=December 19, 2019}} In 2021, governor Pedro Pierluisi announced the government would support a legal effort before the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the ban.{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Gobierno se une como amigo de la corte en el caso sobre las peleas de gallos|trans-title=Government will join as friend of the court in cockfighting case|url=https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/fortaleza/gobierno-se-une-como-amigo-de-la-corte-en-el-caso-sobre-las-peleas-de/article_3bfe71be-e301-11eb-8e78-e3df1006a43f.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-12|website=El Vocero|date=12 July 2021|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712113149/https://www.elvocero.com/gobierno/fortaleza/gobierno-se-une-como-amigo-de-la-corte-en-el-caso-sobre-las-peleas-de/article_3bfe71be-e301-11eb-8e78-e3df1006a43f.html |archive-date=2021-07-12 }} The Supreme Court refused to hear the case, Ortiz-Diaz v. United States, in October 2021, leaving the federal ban in place.{{cite news |title=Supreme Court leaves in place Puerto Rico cockfighting ban |url=https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-congress-puerto-rico-1832c7fddefbf1ded3464cfc83af8b45 |access-date=25 August 2022 |work=Associated Press |date=October 12, 2021}}

The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, a federal law that made it a federal crime to transfer cockfighting implements across state or national borders and increasing the penalty for violations of federal animal fighting laws to three years in prison, became law in 2007. It passed the House of Representatives 368–39 and the Senate by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President George W. Bush.{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-137|title=H.R. 137: Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007|access-date=February 22, 2008|publisher=GovTrack.us}}

The Animal Welfare Act was amended again in 2008 when provisions were included in the 2008 Farm Bill (P.L. 110–246). These provisions tightened prohibitions on dog and other animal fighting activities, and increased penalties for violations of the act.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RS22493.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-10-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426032912/http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RS22493.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-26 }} The Animal Welfare Act: Background and Selected Legislation by Tadlock Cowan – Analyst in Natural Resources and Rural Development – September 9, 2010

Major law enforcement raids against cockfighting occurred in February 2014 in New York State (when 3,000 birds were seized and nine men were charged with felony animal-fighting in "Operation Angry Birds", the state's largest-ever cockfighting bust){{cite news|last=Antenucci|first=Antonio|title=70 arrested in NY's largest cockfighting bust|url=https://nypost.com/2014/02/10/70-arrested-in-new-yorks-largest-ever-cockfighting-bust/|access-date=10 February 2014|newspaper=New York Post|date=10 February 2014}}{{cite news|last=Assefa|first=Haimy|date=10 February 2014|title=New York cockfighting bust uncovers 3,000 birds and yields 9 arrests|publisher=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/09/justice/new-york-cockfighting-bust/|access-date=10 February 2014}}{{cite news|title=NY AG: 3,000 Birds Rescued in Cockfighting Bust|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ny-ag-3000-birds-rescued-cockfighting-bust-22436902|access-date=10 February 2014|newspaper=ABC News|date=10 February 2014}} and in May 2017 in California (when the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seized 7,000 cockfighting birds at a ranch in Val Verde, California, one of the largest cockfighting busts in U.S. history).{{cite news|last1=Hamilton|first1=Matt|title=7,000 birds seized in largest cockfighting bust in U.S. history, L.A. County authorities say|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-cockfighting-raid-20170516-story.html|access-date=May 17, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 16, 2017}}{{cite news|title=Cockfighting Bust in LA County Town Nets 7,000 Birds|url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Cockfighting-Bust-in-Val-Verde-422603114.html|access-date=May 17, 2017|publisher=NBC Los Angeles|date=May 16, 2017}}

File:Cockfright.jpg in the book Mechanics and Crafts of the People of Annam.]]

File:Cock fighting in Vietnam.jpg

Cockfighting is popular in Vietnam,{{Cite web |last=cand.com.vn |title=Một thú vui dân gian cần được giữ gìn |url=https://cand.com.vn/Muon-mau-cuoc-song/Mot-thu-vui-dan-gian-can-duoc-giu-gin-i420439/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Báo Công an Nhân dân điện tử |language=vi}}{{Cite web |title=Chọi gà – nét đẹp văn hóa truyền thống |url=http://beta.baonamdinh.vn/channel/5087/201802/choi-ga-net-dep-van-hoa-truyen-thong-2523107/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=beta.baonamdinh.vn |language=vi-VN }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} with a long history dating back to the Lý dynasty.{{Cite web |last=ONLINE |first=TUOI TRE |date=2014-09-17 |title=Chiêu "độc" của giới chọi gà |url=https://tuoitre.vn/chieu-doc-cua-gioi-choi-ga-646963.htm |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=TUOI TRE ONLINE |language=vi}} According to historical records, the soldiers of Lý Thường Kiệt brought the practice back to Vietnam after conquering Champa. During the feudal era, cockfighting was a popular form of entertainment for the emperor, officials, and the upper class. The emperors often held cockfights during festivals such as Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnamese New Year) and Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) to entertain their guests.

While cockfighting was initially popular amongst ethnic minorities in rural and mountainous areas, it is no longer limited to any particular demographic, or geographic region. Though still popular amongst amateurs, with local tournaments organized across the country, a commercialized, professional cockfighting industry has emerged.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-22 |title=Bị phát hiện khi đang đá gà ăn tiền, quay ra đánh trưởng công an xã |url=https://vov.vn/phap-luat/bi-phat-hien-khi-dang-da-ga-an-tien-quay-ra-danh-truong-cong-an-xa-post932604.vov |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=CTV Văn Vũ/VOV.VN}}{{Cite web |last=thanhnien.vn |date=2023-08-27 |title=Triệt xóa tụ điểm đá gà qua mạng tại quán cà phê, bắt giữ 18 người |url=https://thanhnien.vn/triet-xoa-tu-diem-da-ga-qua-mang-tai-quan-ca-phe-bat-giu-18-nguoi-185230827143854066.htm |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=thanhnien.vn |language=vi}}{{Cite web |last=danviet.vn |title=Công an Phú Thọ: Bắt giữ 50 đối tượng đánh bạc dưới hình thức đá gà, mở sới gà nơi "cực dị" |url=https://danviet.vn/cong-an-phu-tho-bat-giu-50-doi-tuong-danh-bac-duoi-hinh-thuc-da-ga-mo-soi-noi-cuc-di-20230806170421624.htm |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=danviet.vn |date=6 August 2023 |language=vi}} Large-scale cockfighting arenas,{{Cite web |date=2023-08-02 |title=Bình Dương triệt xóa tụ điểm đá gà quy mô lớn |url=https://nhandan.vn/post-765326.html |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Báo Nhân Dân điện tử |language=vi}}{{Cite web |last=VTV |first=BAO DIEN TU |date=2023-08-02 |title=Triệt xóa sới gà có tiền cược lên đến 300 triệu đồng |url=https://vtv.vn/news-20230802104540416.htm |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=BAO DIEN TU VTV |language=vi}} have been built with modern sound and lighting systems, attracting a large number of participants.{{Cite web |last=VCCorp.vn |title=Chọi gà tỷ đô ở một quốc gia Đông Nam Á: Trò tiêu khiển lâu đời có doanh thu 'ăn đứt' mọi sòng bạc lớn, nhân viên lương tháng 60.000 USD |url=https://cafef.vn/choi-ga-ty-do-o-mot-quoc-gia-dong-nam-a-tro-tieu-khien-lau-doi-co-doanh-thu-an-dut-moi-song-bac-lon-nhan-vien-luong-thang-60000-usd-20220313180146862.chn |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=cafef |date=14 March 2022 |language=vi}}

File:Cock fighting in رAfghanistan.jpg|Cockfight on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan

File:Gallonavajeroperuano.jpg|Cockfight in Lima, Peru

File:Philippinerooster.jpg|A Philippine gamecock

File:LosBañosjf8688_13.JPG|A Philippine "lasak", or off-color fighting cock in teepee, gamecocks cord

File:Filipinocockfight.JPG|Cockfight in Hilongos, Philippines

File:Legal_cockfighting_Guiguinto_coliseum2.jpg|2024 Philippines legal cockfighting - garden soil arena (gradas), bettors (sabungero), referee (sentensyador-koyme), kristos, confronting cocks at "Meron and Wala" (lyamado-dehado), "bet taker" (promoter, matador-casador) and handlers-("taga-bitaw")

File:Legal_cockfighting_Guiguinto_coliseum4.jpg|Confronting gamefowls for "sabong" (fighting)

File:Legal_cockfighting_Guiguinto_coliseum5.jpg|Referee ("sentensyador-koyme")

File:Southern-thailand-cock-fighting-painting.jpg|Painting of a traditional cockfighting village scene in southern Thailand

File:Cock fighting in Vietnam.jpg|Cockfight in Vietnam

{{Commons category|Cockfighting}}

{{EB1911 poster|Cock-fighting}}

• Dog fighting
• Dubbing (poultry)
• Illegal sports
• Insect fighting
• Ram fighting
• Shamo (chicken)
• Bloodsport
• Cruelty to animals

{{clear}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Baiting}}

{{Chicken}}

{{Birds in culture}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Chickens

Category:Cruelty to animals

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Sindhi culture

Category:Organized crime activity

Category:Animal combat organized by humans

Category:Blood sports