Eight bettors file NBI complaints against PAGCOR and online betting firm over nearly PHP3 billion in unpaid winnings

Eight bettors filed complaints at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, 29 October, against an online betting company and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Daily Tribune reported.

According to the complaints as reported by Daily Tribune, the company failed to pay the bettors' winnings, which together total nearly PHP3 billion. Daily Tribune did not name the company or say how the amount is split among the eight complainants.

The complaints also name PAGCOR, according to Daily Tribune. PAGCOR is the state-owned corporation that licenses and regulates gaming operations in the Philippines. The report did not set out what the complainants allege against PAGCOR itself.

Lawyers Leo La Victoria, John La Victoria and Mark Angelo Roque appeared at the NBI to represent the bettors, according to Daily Tribune reporter Jeff Damicog.

Emeterio Dongallo Jr., regional director of the NBI's National Capital Region office, assured the public of an impartial investigation, Daily Tribune reported. He said the complaints would be investigated fairly as authorities examine the allegations around the disputed payouts, the newspaper reported.

Authorities have yet to determine the merits of the allegations, Daily Tribune reported. PAGCOR had not issued a public statement on the complaints as of Thursday evening, Manila time, and the NBI had not published a statement on its own channels. The online betting company has not been publicly identified.

Players in the Philippines can check whether an online gaming site holds a PAGCOR licence before they play. AskSpinner will update this story if the NBI opens a formal case or PAGCOR responds.

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