PAGCOR has clarified that its National Database of Restricted Persons (NDRP) is not a list of gambling addicts. According to the corporation, the database contains names of individuals who are legally barred from participating in gambling activities, such as government officials.
The clarification follows social media posts that claimed hackers accessed the NDRP and misrepresented it as a registry of gambling addicts.
PAGCOR stated that the compromised data did not come from its official website. It was likely obtained from one of its licensed gaming operators who have access to the NDRP for screening purposes.
PAGCOR's Gaming Licensing and Development Department (GLDD), which maintains the database, explained that the NDRP is still being updated. The list is incomplete and requires further input from other government agencies.
With millions of government employees nationwide, the process of compiling a comprehensive database is ongoing. PAGCOR advises the public to verify information before sharing it online
Ma. Vina Claudette Oca, PAGCOR Assistant VP for GLDD, stated: "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."
"There are also 1,711 banned persons in the NDRP. These are individuals who have been subject to requests for self-exclusion, family exclusion or exclusions initiated by our licensees, but they are not necessarily addicts or government officials."
The NDRP is a regulatory tool used to enforce legal gambling restrictions and is not related to addiction treatment or behavioural profiling
