Disclaimer: While Inside Asian Gaming has seen evidence which prima facie appears to support a number of the allegations in the “Okada Manila Exposed” video referred to in this IAG article, and we have spoken anonymously to the Investigative Lead who apparently produced the video, we have not independently verified the allegations therein. This IAG article merely reports on the publishing of, content in, and other aspects of the video, while expressing no opinion or analysis on the veracity thereof.
An online video series which claims to have uncovered evidence of mass corruption, sanctioned money laundering, graft, extortion, regulatory violations and more at Philippine integrated resort Okada Manila has alleged widespread surveillance voyeurism at which at least eight Okada surveillance operators regularly viewed female staff dressing and undressing in staff change rooms.
The video series, titled “Okada Manila Exposed”, began with the release of its first installment by an anonymous entity calling itself “Project Panagutin” – the latter word being a Tagalog expression loosely translating to “make someone responsible or accountable for an action, consequence or wrongdoing”. In Tagalog, the term can carry moral or legal senses and is used when someone must face the consequences of their actions.
The first video in the series, “Okada Manila Exposed – Surveillance Voyeurism”, has already been viewed 125,000 times, despite being blocked in the Philippines following a defamation complaint to YouTube by Okada Manila, according to Project Panagutin.
“Instead of taking responsibility and holding their guilty executives accountable[,] Okada Manila has submitted a defamation complaint to youtube (sic) and so the video is now blocked here [in the Philippines],” Project Panagutin explained in a comment to the YouTube video which can be found here:
Okada Manila Exposed – Surveillance Voyeurism
As at the time of writing, the video is accessible outside the Philippines and within the Philippines with the use of a VPN.
The report alleges that at least eight Okada Manila surveillance operators were discovered engaging in mass voyeurism targeting unsuspecting Filipina women via surveillance cameras and that monitoring reports were falsified to make it look like high-stakes gaming tables were being observed instead.
It also alleges that Okada’s Vice President of Surveillance at the time of the incidents, Mike Waite, tried to bury the evidence rather than report the crimes to Okada Manila’s Human Resources department or relevant authorities, and further claims that some of those responsible for the crimes have not only kept their jobs but were even promoted since the scandal became known internally.
The report alleges that HR was instructed to abandon and block any investigation into the issue and that these instructions were issued by a board member who is reportedly an ally of Waite.
The report also claims that at least some of CCTV footage of the crimes was erased from Okada Manila’s system, however it claims that an Executive Committee member was shown numerous examples of video voyeurism within the company and that these examples indicated a violation of the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009, which carries a prison sentence of three to seven years and fines of up to Php500,000. It also claims videos shown to the Executive Committee member included six counts of violation against the Okada Manila Code of Conduct of which at least some were offences that warrant immediate employment termination and violate PACGOR Casino Regulation 7, Section 1, which stipulates that a casino CCTV system should not be used in an improper manner.
Okada Manila, the report alleges, did not report the incident to PAGCOR once discovered.
“The scandal was covered up, the victims were forgotten, and those responsible remain in power,” the video states.
IAG contacted Okada Manila for comment on the video and its allegations and Okada Manila directed us to a statement which is available on the Okada Manila website here and Tiger Resort website here. The statement reads, in full, as follows:
Okada Manila warns the public against certain defamatory videos on Youtube (sic) and other online platforms from an anonymous uploader, which are filled with false and unverified claims of alleged irregularities or anomalies in Okada Manila.We are looking into the persons responsible for the videos as well as the allegations made therein, and will take such legal action as may be warranted.
We urge the public to avoid sharing or spreading rumors and unverified claims. We remind everyone to be on guard against misinformation and fake news, especially coming from persons hiding under the cover of anonymity.
IAG commits to publishing any further response it subsequently receives from Okada Manila regarding the video series or the related allegations, in full, subject to reasonable length. Should IAG deem a response unreasonably long and therefore not publish it in full, we commit to publishing a link to, and the word length of, the response.
In the nine years Okada Manila has been operating, it has been no stranger to controversy. Its rocky history includes allegations that its founder, Kazuo Okada, had bribed Philippine officials in order to gain necessary permits and licenses to develop the integrated resort. Okada, an executive of Wynn Resorts at the time, was removed from Wynn’s board, sparking a long-running legal dispute between the two parties.
In May 2022, a group representing Kazuo Okada famously physically stormed the premises and took control of the integrated resort – the fallout of a dispute between Kazuo Okada himself and Okada Manila’s parent company Universal Entertainment Corp (UEC). The takeover led to serious upheaval and instability at Okada Manila, including the publication of a controversial video of the storming, followed by a lengthy press conference, organized by ousted board members, which laid bare internal rifts at Okada Manila. Mr Okada himself had been ousted by UEC in 2017 on allegations of fraud, misuse of funds and mismanagement.
In September 2022, PAGCOR issued a cease-and-desist order against the Kazuo Okada group that saw them removed and previous management reinstated.
Okada Manila was further embroiled in drama after attempting a NASDAQ listing via merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, 26 Capital Acquisition Corp, led by businessman and former Las Vegas Sands board member Jason Ader. The merger ultimately collapsed after Ader filed a lawsuit against Okada Manila entities in 2023 alleging they had breached their obligations under the merger agreement to consummate the merger promptly. In response, the Okada Manila entities officially terminated the merger agreement citing “various material breaches of the merger agreement and fraudulent conduct by 26 Capital … that were discovered in the litigation process.”
With Project Panagutin promising several more videos in its “Okada Manila Exposed” series, it remains to be seen whether Okada Manila can weather yet another storm of controversy. Only time will tell.
Disclaimer: While Inside Asian Gaming has seen evidence which prima facie appears to support a number of the allegations in the “Okada Manila Exposed” video referred to in this IAG article, and we have spoken anonymously to the Investigative Lead who apparently produced the video, we have not independently verified the allegations therein. This IAG article merely reports on the publishing of, content in, and other aspects of the video, while expressing no opinion or analysis on the veracity thereof.
