Bingo operator employees face raps amid ‘game-rigging’

At least three employees of a mall-based bingo operator and a bingo player are now facing charges for allegedly conspiring to fix a bingo game to clinch the total jackpot prize of P3.16 million.

This comes after the Grand Polaris Gaming Co. Inc., the operator of BingoPlus in a mall in Cauayan, Isabela discovered that its employees were allegedly rigging a game to ensure that they can get the jackpot prize.

The employees of BingoPlus were identified Jefferson Castillo, Catherine Vargas and Liwliwa Viloria, while the other suspect was identified as Rafael Ramirez, a bingo player who allegedly connived with the employees to fix the results of the Bingo Milyonaryo game held at the Cauayan branch of BingoPlus inside a popular mall.

In a statement, BingoPlus said that it was filing charges as it is committed "to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and trust within our community."

The company stressed that it "has zero tolerance for any form of misconduct and we will take all necessary legal actions to ensure that these individuals will be punished for their criminal actions."

"BingoPlus remains dedicated to providing a safe, fair, and enjoyable gaming experience for all."

In the complaint filed on Thursday by the Office of the City Prosecutor in Cauayan City, Isabela, the suspects are accused of engaging in "game fixing activities" and employing "fraudulent practices" to ensure that Ramirez would win the Bingo Milyonaryo jackpot on 19 January 2024.

Reports said that Castillo was the Bingo host during the game, while Vargas and Viloria were the game attendants on duty.

According to the complaint, as a result of the "concerted acts" of the three BingoPlus employees, they were able "to successfully implement their devious scheme of helping their cohort to win the jackpot prize." Ramirez would later approach the BingoPlus branch manager to complain that he had been "scammed" by the three BingoPlus employees.

After the game-fixing scheme was reported to law enforcement authorities, an investigation by the police revealed that after Ramirez had claimed the jackpot prize, which amounted to P3.16 million after taxes, he split the winnings with Castillo, Vargas and Viloria.

In an internal investigation conducted by Grand Polaris Gaming Co. Inc., audit findings showed that the three BingoPlus employees had devised and implemented a scheme to fix the game by ensuring that the bingo numbers to be announced by Castillo in the Bingo Milyonaryo game matched those in the bingo card purchased by Ramirez, the game's lone bettor.

To verify the allegations of game fixing, the audit team gathered evidence and extensively reviewed the CCTV and camera footage of the BingoPlus branch. The team also reviewed pertinent records and supporting documents, evaluated and tested the control activities composing the Bingo Milyonaryo game, and also interviewed concerned employees.

BingoPlus explained in their statement that following their extensive internal investigation, "we discovered that these individuals conspired to defraud BingoPlus through fraudulent schemes aimed at securing wins in our bingo games. These actions clearly constitute serious violation of law."

Based on the audit findings and the police investigation that followed the incident, the complaint said that "as clear as day, it became clear that Grand Polaris became a victim of this devious scheme concocted by the Respondents."

Those involved in the scheme are now charged with estafa under Article 315 Section 3(b) and 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code. A person who commits estafa under Section 3(b) is defined as someone who defrauds another by "resorting to some fraudulent practice to insure success in a gambling game."