Illegal Korean Slot Machines Raided

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided an alleged slot machine gambling den on Monday. The den was disguised as an amusement center in Quezon City and agents seized more than 70 slot machines from the group. NBI Special Investigation Service (SIS) said that the raid on the slot machines at the Dolphin Story Game Center was conducted upon the request of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. also known as Pagcor.

NBI SIS Deputy Director Victor Bessat said that the slot machine center was allegedly owned and operated by a group of Koreans illegally. Pagcor said that not only did they not have a license, but they were not authorized in any way to operate slot machines or any type of gaming equipment. The NBI had spent a long time working on the case, using hidden cameras to tape the illegal activity in the slot machine den. The slot machines seized were worth more than P21 million.

Special Investigator Roel Jovenir of the NBI said that the slot machines that they seized were much more advanced than anything the Pagcor owned. “There is a big possibility that the [slot] machines have been smuggled into the country,” Jovenir said.

In addition to the slot machines that were taken, they also took office chairs and several appliances that were being used as prizes to those that won the games. According to Jovenir, the customers would purchase a ticket worth P500 which gave them 10,000 points, to play on the slot machines. Then while they were playing the slot machines they were winning more points which would give them the prizes. The slot machine points were awarded as gift certificates which they would cash in for the prizes, unless they wanted cash – then they would cash them in at the Korex pawnshop instead.

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