PAGCOR Explains National Database After Alleged Data Leak

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has responded to fresh allegations from an international hacking group, clarifying that its National Database of Restricted Persons (NDRP) is not a list of gambling addicts. Instead, the regulator explained that most entries are government officials who are legally banned from entering casinos.

Good to Know

• PAGCOR says its internal systems were not breached; leaked data likely came from a licensed operator with access.
• The NDRP currently holds more than 560,000 names, mostly government employees restricted by law.
• Just over 1,700 individuals appear due to self-exclusion or requests from families and operators.

The statement came after Deathnote Hackers International claimed to have accessed and leaked the NDRP on an online forum. The group suggested the database included gambling addicts and accused PAGCOR of enabling addiction.

In its post, the hackers wrote:

“The majority on the list are government employees or elected officials … since they are strictly banned this includes police officers and others in government service. [The] list is assorted in a way that suggests there is still a possibility some people on it might gamble and [be] addicted. PAGCOR, let’s call it what it is: you are an enabler of addiction, whether you like it or not.”

PAGCOR quickly countered, stressing that the NDRP exists to prevent restricted persons from entering licensed gambling facilities. The regulator said its own systems had not been compromised, noting the data leak likely originated from one of the licensed operators granted access to the database for compliance checks.

According to Ma. Vina Claudette Oca, Assistant Vice President of PAGCOR’s Gaming Licensing and Development Department, the database holds more than half a million names, largely drawn from public government records. She said:

“The names on the list are not necessarily addicted gamblers; most are government officials who, by law, are not allowed to enter gambling establishments, thus their inclusion in the NDRP.”

Oca also highlighted that the Department of the Interior and Local Government serves as a key source for the list, which remains incomplete given the millions of officials nationwide. Beyond government employees, the database includes 1,711 individuals who have been formally excluded through self-exclusion, family requests, or actions taken by licensees. She concluded:

“These are individuals who have been subject to requests for self-exclusion, family exclusion or exclusions initiated by our licensees, but they are not necessarily addicts or government officials.”

The post PAGCOR Explains National Database After Alleged Data Leak appeared first on iGaming.org.