Philippine body eyes casino oversight amid money laundering scandal

Senate pushes for enhanced monitoring and resources amid escalating probe into ‘BGC Boys’ activities.

The Philippines.- The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is exploring the deployment of its personnel to Philippine casinos to strengthen oversight against the laundering of public funds, following Senate scrutiny of a corruption case involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials. Executive director Matthew David said the agency would study the proposal to address gaps in casino compliance.

Senators criticised casinos for overlooking red flags in transactions by the Bulacan Group of Contractors, comprising dismissed engineers Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Henry Alcantara, Arjay Domasig, and contractor Edrick San Diego. The group allegedly laundered over PHP1bn (US$18.3m) from fraud in flood control projects through 13 casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga from 2023 to 2025. They reportedly converted illicit cash into chips and cashed out winnings.

David acknowledged the AMLC’s limitations in manually reviewing suspicious transaction reports (STRs), which reached 24.5 million in the first half of 2025 and said it prioritises only high-risk cases.

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See also: Philippine officials alleged to have laundered $18.3m through casinos

Senate pushes for enhanced monitoring and resources amid escalating probe into ‘BGC Boys’ activities. The Philippines.- The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is exploring the deployment of its personnel to Philippine…