Pagcor Voided P200 Million Casino Winnings Of Government Officials

State gaming regulator and operator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) had voided or withheld the award of casino winnings of government employees – from elected local government officials to government officials and officers – as they are banned from entering and gambling in casino establishments.

Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR chairman and CEO, said that starting from January up to July of the year, PAGCOR voided or withheld from casino winners their prizes after they were discovered to be government officials or employees.

Tengco made the remark as he gave assurance that PAGCOR was enforcing a ban on government employees and officials from gambling in casinos.

“This year, up to July, there is more than P200 million that we have voided, or we did not award prizes hit by these restricted persons: elected LGU officials, government employees,” Tengco said over True FM Radio 109.5 on Sept. 3.

“Even if they make an appeal, we will never give them their winnings,” Tengco said.

The P200-million voided winnings was the result of a “secondary screening” being undertaken by PAGCOR-operated casinos and their licensed casinos for people restricted from playing. This screening process was done when a casino player claims his winnings.

“We have secondary screening. And there you need to show again your ID, (aside from the) CCTV (monitoring). There we can see and verify if you are a government employee,” Tengco said.

PAGCOR had recently come under fire for not enforcing a ban on government employees from gambling in casinos after suspended and dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways district engineer Henry Alcantara had admitted that he, along with his colleagues in the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office, frequently played in casinos.

Tengco said Alcantara and the others in the Bulacan district engineering office had apparently used aliases and fake IDs to gain entry into casinos, and the agency is now looking into the dismissed official’s claims that they were issued the VIP IDs.

Gambling at work

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has warned government officials and employees that they may face administrative sanctions if they are caught engaging in any form of gambling during office hours.

The prohibition applies “regardless of whether the gambling activity is conducted within or outside government premises, and whether the platform used is legal or licensed," the CSC said.

Government workers engaging in any form of gambling during office hours “whether physical or virtual” may be held liable of the administrative offense of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and may face “sanctions in accordance with existing civil service rules and regulations," the CSC stressed. – With Elizabeth Marcelo