Hacked NDRP is not a gambling addict list, PAGCOR clarifies
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has issued an official clarification after reports surfaced that its National Database of Restricted Persons (NDRP) had been hacked and wrongly described online as a list of gambling addicts.
In a statement, PAGCOR stressed that the NDRP is not a record of people with gambling problems but a compilation of individuals barred by law from entering casinos or engaging in gambling. The list includes government officials, who are legally prohibited from gambling, as well as those who have been excluded on request.
PAGCOR explained that the hacked list did not originate from its own website but was most likely obtained from one of its licenced operators, who are granted access to the NDRP to screen customers.
The database being updated constantly
The regulator’s Gaming Licencing and Development Department (GLDD), which manages the NDRP, added that the database is still being updated and needs input from various government agencies. At present, it contains around 560,000 names, mostly elected officials drawn from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) website.
GLDD Assistant Vice President Ma. Vina Claudette Oca clarified that the names on the list do not indicate gambling addiction. She explained that the database also includes 1,711 individuals banned through self-exclusion requests, family requests, or exclusions initiated by licenced operators, but these too, should not be equated with addiction.
“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,”
– Vina Claudette Oca, GLDD Vice President
She admitted that the NDRP is far from complete, given that there are millions of government employees nationwide, meaning more names will be added over time.
Govt. officials already banned from gambling
The clarification follows a wider crackdown on gambling participation by public officials. In July, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular No. 2025-082, which formally bans all of its officials and staff, more than 61,000 personnel, from engaging in any form of online gambling.
The ban extends to both elected and appointed officials at the provincial, city, municipal, and barangay levels. Violators face administrative and criminal charges under existing laws. DILG Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla said the new rules build on a 2016 presidential memorandum that had already barred government employees from entering physical casinos.
He argued that the spirit of that policy has been undermined by the rapid rise of online gambling, which now allows officials to bypass restrictions digitally. Remulla voiced concern that officials taking part in gambling compromises the ethical foundation of government, while also fuelling financial hardship for families.
Senate continues to weigh ‘total ban’
Meanwhile, the national debate on gambling regulation is heating up. The Philippine Senate’s Games and Amusements Committee, chaired by Senator Erwin Tulfo, is assessing whether online gambling should be banned outright or subject to tighter regulation.
Tulfo has been outspoken in favour of a nationwide ban, citing cases of family breakdown, debt, and school dropouts linked to online gambling. While PAGCOR and the Department of Finance are pressing for a regulated framework instead, Tulfo believes enforcement against illegal operators has proved too weak to deter abuse.
The hearings are expected to bring together key stakeholders from government, regulators, and industry, in what could mark a decisive stage in the Philippines’ ongoing struggle to balance gambling’s economic benefits with its social costs.
