Regulators investigate reports of $100M laundering via Philippine casinos

Philippine authorities have reportedly uncovered the biggest money laundering activity in the country, involving a total of $100 million that was transferred to three local casinos before it was moved out to overseas accounts.

Quoting banking and government sources, media outlet Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that a financial institution in Bangladesh, possibly the central bank of the country, was recently hit by hackers based in China, and the money was transferred to a branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) via foreign exchange broker Philrem.

After entering the local financial system, the money—already converted to local currency—was allegedly consolidated into an account of a Chinese businessman who runs a junket operation in the Philippines. According to the media outlet’s sources, the money, reportedly owned by the junket’s client based in Macau, was used “to either ‘buy chips’ or ‘pay for casino losses’ incurred at Solaire Resort and Casino, City of Dreams Manila and Midas Hotel and Casino.”

The funds, however, were already moved back to an overseas bank account, the media outlet reported.