Casino sector ‘weak link’ in Philippines’ anti-money laundering efforts, US says

The government of the United States has identified what it believes could be a weak link the Philippines’ effort to stop money laundering: casinos.

A new International Narcotics Strategy Report released by the U.S. Department of State called six places in the Asia Pacific region that have legal casino gaming industries as “countries/jurisdictions of primary concern.” One of the countries is the Philippines, which was recently linked to an alleged money laundering activity involving $100 million that reportedly made its way through three local casinos.

“International experts and observers note that the Philippine casino industry is a weak link in the country’s AML/CFT regime,” the report stated, referring to the country’s anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism efforts.

“Regionally, organized crime groups, such as Chinese triads, have infiltrated casino operations and have facilitated prostitution, narcotics trafficking, loan-sharking, and suspect junket and VIP gaming tours,” the U.S. Department of State noted in its report.