Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has proposed Senate Resolution 1193 to investigate the failure of local banks to detect POGO-related suspicious transactions tied to criminal activities, following the case of former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.

Gatchalian, in his resolution, highlighted bank transactions involving Guo’s companies, which amounted to hundreds of millions of pesos and allegedly funded the construction of a POGO hub in Bamban. The amount far exceeded the financial capacity reflected in the companies’ financial statements.

He pointed out a significant increase in cash flows, check disbursements, and transactions involving Guo’s accounts, peaking in 2020—an anomaly given that the COVID-19 pandemic had severely disrupted businesses and economies worldwide.

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Gatchalian noted that despite these large transactions, the banking system failed to flag them as suspicious. He raised concerns about the banks’ inability to report such dubious activities, questioning the effectiveness of their internal controls and procedures for identifying and reporting suspicious behaviour.

The senator emphasised that financial institutions are responsible for analysing financial data to detect transactions that may indicate money laundering.

These circumstances, according to Gatchalian, raise doubts about the adequacy of current Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regulations and guidelines for banks and financial institutions.

Gatchalian also pointed out that the Philippines remains on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The country must improve its AML/CTF efforts, including prosecuting money laundering and terrorism financing, addressing beneficial ownership information and strengthening cross-border declaration measures.

While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed all government agencies to meet the necessary requirements to remove the country from the FATF grey list, Gatchalian stressed that private sector compliance is equally crucial to strengthening the country’s AML/CFT regime. This includes increased adherence to obligations, such as reporting covered and suspicious transactions.

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On 20 March 2024, the government and all parties in the Danish Parliament reached an agreement on lotteries and liberalised land-based bingo. A bill to implement the agreement is expected to be presented when the Danish Parliament reopens in October.

Status on New Rules
A draft bill was sent out for consultation before the summer holiday, and the consultation period has now expired. The bill is expected to be presented when the Danish Parliament reopens in October.

The Ministry of Taxation will also send out a draft of a new executive order on charity lottery and an executive order on liberalised land-based bingo for consultation. It will appear on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website when it is possible to submit consultation responses to the executive orders.

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“At the Danish Gambling Authority, we are working to be as ready as possible when the new rules are expected to be finally adopted later this fall. The Ministry of Taxation is in charge of the creation of the new rules, so for us at the Danish Gambling Authority, it’s about being prepared for when the new rules will be implemented,” the Danish Gambling Authority said.

“Among other things, we are preparing a new application process for charity lottery. Through a series of questions, it guides applicants to apply for the right licence for their lottery. It will also prepare them to comply with the rules once the applicants have been granted a licence and then hold a lottery.

“We are also preparing the application process for liberalised land-based bingo.

“As part of the preparations, a communication network has been established with representatives from a broad group of stakeholders. The purpose of this network is to target the guidance efforts so that the Danish Gambling Authority can provide the best possible guidance to associations, companies and others who want to hold a lottery for a good cause.”

Webinar on the New Rules for Charity Lottery
As part of the guidance efforts, the Danish Gambling Authority will host a webinar on Tuesday, 26 November 2024 from 1 pm (The webinar is in Danish). You can register now by sending an email to Simone Wellendorph Lehmann at [email protected], no later than 24 November 2024 at 12 noon.

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The webinar will not cover the rules for liberalised land-based bingo. There will be separate guidance on this area. The webinar will be canceled if the bill is not passed at this time. If it is cancelled, it will be announced on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website.

Transition Phase from the Current to the New Charity Lottery Rules
In the draft bill that was sent out for consultation, it is planned that applicants will be able to apply for a licence under the new rules from 21 November 2024 with a possible start date for the licence from 1 January 2025.

If, due to planning or similar reasons, an applicant needs to apply for a licence before 21 November 2024, but does not want to hold a lottery until 2025, according to the draft bill, the applicant will receive a licence under the current rules, but with the option to let this licence lapse and then apply for a licence under the new rules after 21 November 2024.