The Philippines’ Department of Justice and the country’s gaming regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), have signed a memorandum of agreement to expand the list of individuals barred from entering the nation’s casinos. Under the deal, personnel from the Department of Justice will be included in the database of restricted persons.
The memorandum was signed on Monday, the Philippine News Agency reported.
The Philippines is one of the few jurisdictions in Asia to have an extensive casino industry widely accessible to locals as well as foreigners. Some restrictions exist: Philippine government officials and employees are prohibited from gambling.
Pagcor chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco said Monday’s agreement was the first such arrangement between the gaming regulator and a government agency.
Mr Tengco noted that there are currently only about 600,000 names on Pagcor’s restricted list, compared with roughly 4.5 million government officials and employees nationwide.
The Department of Justice currently employs around 60,000 personnel across its main offices and attached agencies.
The news report quoted Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida as saying that “the presence of government officials and employees in gaming establishments, in violation of existing laws and regulations, undermines the ethical standards we are sworn to uphold.”
He added: “This data-sharing initiative is both timely and necessary. By enabling a more efficient and accurate identification system, we strengthen enforcement mechanisms and ensure that policies are not only written but meaningfully implemented.”
