THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has invalidated roughly P310 million worth of casino winnings in 2025 involving government officials, its chairperson Alejandro Tengco disclosed on Monday, March 30, 2026.
In an interview, Tengco said the individuals involved came from a range of national agencies as well as local government units.
He noted that several of those affected have contested the decision, insisting they were entitled to the winnings.
However, Tengco stressed that such claims have no legal basis, citing Presidential Decree 1869, or the Pagcor Charter, and Memorandum Circular 6, series of 2016, which provides that government officials are prohibited from taking part in casino gambling.
“Sabi ko nga kanina sa kine-kwento ko, maraming nagrereklamo, maraming nagsasabi na karapatan daw nila ’yun at sila ay nanalo,” Tengco said.
(As I mentioned earlier in what I was saying, many are complaining, and many are claiming that it was their right since they won.)
“Pero ang aming sagot sa pangkaraniwan sa kanila ay, unang-una, hindi ka dapat nakapaglaro sapagkat maliwanag ang batas—bawal maglaro ang sinumang empleyado ng pamahalaan,” he added.
(But our usual response to them is: first of all, you should not have been able to play, because the law is clear—any government employee is prohibited from gambling.)
Aside from voiding the winnings, Tengco said Pagcor has also been notifying the concerned agencies about the violations of their personnel to ensure that proper administrative actions will be carried out.
The Pagcor chief made the remarks following the signing of an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the sharing of employee data, amid efforts to prevent government workers from gaining access to gaming venues.
The crackdown comes amid persistent allegations that some corrupt officials have been using casinos to launder illicit funds, including bribes and kickbacks tied to government transactions.
Amid government investigations into anomalous flood control projects, Senator Panfilo Lacson floated the alleged gambling activities of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan officials involving taxpayers’ money. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)