The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has served its offshore licensees and accredited service providers with a “strong caution”, urging them to abide by local regulations.
The organization’s chairman and CEO, Alejandro Tengco, pointedly reminded the nation’s gambling enterprises that they are legally required to operate within the confines of their granted licenses.
Furthermore, the licensed firms were advised to keep clear of involvement in any illicit activities to avoid harsh penalties and the potential suspension or revocation of their licenses.
Inter-Agency Operation Targets CGC Technologies
The admonition arose amid a suspension order that PAGCOR delivered to CGC Technologies. On May 4th, a joint investigation was led by the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Cybercrime Group, the Special Action Forces, the Intelligence Group of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, and the Inter-Agency Council on Anti-Trafficking into the service provider’s activities.
The multi-agency operation occurred within the Sun Valley Business Hub in Mabalacat, Pampanga, prompted by suspected credit card fraud, illegal detention and potential human trafficking.
The inquiry revealed that CGC Technologies was operating in six different buildings, even though only two had the necessary PAGCOR accreditation. The workforce was multi-national, composed of individuals from Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, and China as indicated by the state-operated company.
During the search operation, the law enforcement agencies seized 1,000 computing devices for forensic examination. This provided PAGCOR with corroborative evidence that illegal activities were being conducted across the establishments.
The revelation led PAGCOR to instantly terminate CGC Technologies’ accreditation.
PAGCOR Pledges to Guard the Local Market
Tengco communicated that the operation was a result of PAGCOR’s increased collaboration with numerous state entities including the Office of the President, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Immigration.
Tengco assured that PAGCOR will maintain its close oversight of the market and take necessary measures on detecting fraudulent activity.
PAGCOR also backed the Department of Justice and Bureau of Immigration’s decision to command instant deportation of the foreign nationals rescued during the operation. According to PAGCOR, this underscored their firm stance against unlawful actions within the country.
Lastly, Tengco assured that PAGCOR will persist in its collaboration with state agencies to facilitate the local
PAGCOR will keep joining forces with law enforcement bodies to ensure a secure and responsible gaming environment not just for Filipinos, but for all nationalities. With regulated and accountable gaming, we can minimize or fully eliminate crimes linked to gaming operations.
Alejandro Tengco, chair & CEO, PAGCOR
In a related event, PAGCOR terminated its contract with an auditing firm which had submitted fraudulent documents, in March.
