A former exec at the Philippines gaming regulatory agency has sued the Asian division of casino operator Wynn Resorts for unlawfully disclosing personal data that damaged his career prospects.
On Wednesday, the Macau Daily Times published an exclusive interview with Rogelio Yusi Bangsil Jr., a former exec at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Bangsil has accused Wynn Macau of illegally sharing his personal data with a US law firm investigating alleged misconduct involving PAGCOR execs and Japanese gaming mogul Kazuo Okada.
Bangsil was one of the PAGCOR execs named in a report compiled by former FBI director Louis Freeh at Wynn’s request. The report alleges that Universal Entertainment CEO Okada improperly lavished the PAGCOR execs and their family members with MOP 880k (US $110k) worth of hotel stays and other perks at Wynn Macau and casinos in Las Vegas in order to win concessions regarding Okada’s proposed Manila casino project.
Macau has strict laws regarding the transfer of personal data to authorities outside the Special Administrative Region, and Wynn was fined MOP 20k in 2011 for violating the Personal Data Protection Act. Bangsil filed suit against Wynn last November and a hearing has been scheduled for June 22.
Bangsil told the MDT that he was “seeking an apology” from Wynn, as well as undisclosed financial damages. Bangsil insists there is “no truth” to the allegations contained in the Wynn report, which “cut short my career and the whole family suffered because of that.”
Bangsil, who retired from PAGCOR in 2012 as a direct result of the allegations, said the fact that Wynn paid the MOP 20k fine in 2011 means they “recognize they made a mistake, so why are they not apologizing to the victims?” Bangsil said some of the other 17 accused were contemplating their own damage claims but are waiting to see how his case fares.
The Freeh report followed a falling out between Okada and Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn after the two execs failed to reach agreement on the value of building a Philippine casino. The matter came to a head in February 2012, when Wynn forcibly redeemed Okada’s 24m Wynn shares at a 30% discount to their market value, prompting Okada to launch a legal war that continues to this day.
The Wynn report wasn’t the only incident that prompted Bangsil’s retirement. In 2012, Philippine legislators called for Bangsil’s dismissal based on his alleged failure to spot a cheating scam at PACGOR-run casinos that cost the government $3.7m.
