The Philippines’ top gaming regulator says casinos are open to being included in the country’s anti-money laundering laws but insists this wouldn’t have prevented the scandal currently making international headlines.

This week saw Cristino Naguiat Jr. (pictured), head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR), appear at a Senate hearing to discuss the $81m that as yet unknown hackers stole from a Bangladesh central bank account in New York last month, then transferred to Philippine banks before most of the money ended up in the hands of the local gambling industry.

Casinos were exempted from the country’s AML laws but the Inquirer quoted Naguiat telling reporters that Philippines-licensed operators had always cooperated with Anti-Money Laundering Council investigations and casinos were amenable to observing all AML practices that are on par with global industry standards.

Naguiat noted that casinos weren’t a particularly desirable method of money laundering since casinos required deposited funds to be wagered at their gaming tables, meaning a portion of the funds would most assuredly be lost by the launderers. Naguiat also noted that casinos were required to report all casino winnings to PAGCOR.