Speakers

Alejandro H. Tengco

Chairman and CEO, PAGCOR

Alejandro H. Tengco has served as Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) since August 2022. Prior to his government appointment, he was President and CEO of Nationstar Development Corporation, a construction firm recognized for projects like the National Museum of Natural History renovation. He also held leadership roles in the food and real estate sectors and previously headed the government affairs group at PLDT.

A product of Jesuit education, Chairman Tengco studied at Ateneo de Manila University from grade school through postgraduate studies. He earned a degree in Business Management in 1982 and pursued law at Ateneo Law School until 1984.

As PAGCOR chief, Chairman Tengco has led transformative reforms aimed at modernizing the gaming industry, enhancing transparency, and increasing revenues. His leadership has helped reposition PAGCOR as a key driver of national development and a more attractive destination for global investment.

Ben Blaschke

Managing Editor, Inside Asian Gaming

Ben began his career as a sports journalist in Sydney in 1999, working for a number of leading news publications before his interest was piqued by the TV poker shows that frequented the airwaves late at night. He soon found himself not only playing the game but writing about it too – taking on the role of Editor for PokerNews Australasia and subsequently visiting Macau for the very first time in 2008.

He was appointed Managing Editor of World Gaming Magazine in February 2013, subsequently overseeing O MEDIA’s editorial catalogue including High Life, Hengqin Record and more. He was appointed Chief Content Officer in 2017.

In 2016, Ben became Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming and has spent his years since then delving ever more deeply into the business of gaming. He was instrumental in the launch of the industry-leading daily e-newsletter IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017.

Jeffrey Fong

Vice President, Business Development, Asia, BMM Testlabs

Jeffrey Fong has been with BMM for over six years, currently serving as Vice President of Business Development for Asia. In this capacity, he oversees the strategic planning and implementation of business initiatives tailored to meet regional objectives. His role focuses on enhancing customer support and service offerings within the rapidly evolving Asian gaming market.

With 15 years of diverse experience in gaming and hospitality across Asia and the U.S., Jeffrey has held various roles, including sales leader, head of business analysis and project director. His expertise in business development and strategic planning, combined with substantial experience in both iGaming and land-based gaming operations and regulations, equips him to navigate the complexities of the industry.

Felix G. Gervacio, Jr

Police Colonel, Chief Anti-Transnational Crime Unit, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

Police Colonel Felix G. Gervacio, Jr. is a member of the PNP presently assigned at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group as the Chief, Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit. He graduated at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in the year 2000. He has a masteral degree in Public Management as his post-graduate study course. He is also a third level degree eligible or police executive service eligible granted by the Civil Service Commission. In his law enforcement career, he was assigned in various units such as Provincial Director in Biliran PPO PRO 8; Chief Regional Intelligence Unit of Intelligence Group; Regional Chief of CIDG Regional Field Unit 8 (RFU8).

A recipient of numerous awards and commendations for his commitment, dedication, and invaluable support to the Philippine National Police.

Jay D. Guillermo

Police Colonel, Chief Investigation Division, Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group

Police Colonel Jay D. Guillermo is the Chief of the Investigation Division of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG). A seasoned law enforcement and cybercrime investigation professional, he has held several leadership positions within the PNP, including Chief of Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit for Region VII (RACU-7) and Chief of the Cyber Response Unit. He is recognized for his contributions to cybercrime investigation, digital security, and inter-agency cooperation in combating cyber-enabled offenses and protecting the public in the digital environment.

Richard Howarth

Managing Director, GLI Asia Pacific

Richard Howarth is the Managing Director at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), a global leader in independent gaming testing, technical consulting, compliance assessment, and regulator training services. With a career spanning over two decades across sales, marketing, and commercial leadership, Richard brings a wealth of expertise to his role at GLI, where he oversees strategic business development for the APAC Region, including Australia, New Zealand, Macao, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Cambodia. His focus is on fostering relationships with suppliers, operators, regulators, and industry bodies, and ensuring alignment with delivery teams to meet the standards and expectations of the global gaming industry.

Before joining GLI in December 2023, Richard held leadership roles across diverse industries, including gaming, hospitality, telecommunications, and technology. This included roles with IXUP Limited, Tattersall’s Group, Sportingbet, and The Star Entertainment Group, where he built a track record of driving substantial growth that solidified his reputation as a results-oriented leader in high-stakes industries. He also held prominent positions at Telstra, the Australian Defence Force, and Coca-Cola, where he honed his expertise in strategic sales and commercial marketing.

Richard holds an MBA from the University of Technology Sydney and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Business (Marketing) and Arts (Psychology, Sociology) from Monash University in Melbourne. A committed industry leader and advocate, he is also active in community initiatives, serving as a Crisis Support Volunteer at Lifeline.

Vineet Malhotra

Vice President Technical Services and Compliance, Asia, BMM Testlabs

Vineet Malhotra has been with BMM since 2006, starting as a Systems Consultant and advancing through several leadership roles. As Vice President of Technical Services and Compliance for Asia, he leads BMM’s technical teams in the region and oversees compliance with all relevant technical standards and regulations in both land-based and iGaming domains. With 17 years of experience supporting BMM’s operations in Asia, Vineet is recognized as a subject-matter expert in technical compliance and a key driver of the company’s success in the Asia-Pacific gaming market.

Lany Miraflores-Bengco

Director of AML Compliance, Hann Philippines Inc.

Lany is the Director of AML Compliance at Hann Resorts, the first fully integrated resort in the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, and the largest outside Metro Manila. Having joined Hann Resorts in January 2017, she brings over 16 years of experience across land-based, ship-based, and online casino operations in the Philippines and internationally.

Her career began with three years in Table Games at Resorts World Manila and Carnival Casino on Costa Cruises, followed by nine years in Casino Cage operations at Carnival Casino on Costa Cruises and Widus Hotel and Casino. She later became Director of Cage and played a key role on the setup team that established Hann Casino, before advancing to her current role as Director of AML Compliance, a position she has held for the past four years.

Lany holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Adamson University, Manila, and is a Certified Compliance Officer through the Center for Global Best Practices and a Certified AML/CFT Professional through Fintelekt.

In 2025, she received a Certificate of Recognition at Malacañang, alongside public and private sector leaders, from the Philippines’ National AML/CTF/CPF Coordinating Committee (NACC) for her contributions to the country’s successful efforts toward exiting the FATF Grey List, representing Hann Resorts and the small to medium sized casino sector during the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) Joint Group On-site Visit.

Ma. Vina Claudette P. Oca

Assistant Vice President Gaming Licensing and Development Dept, PAGCOR

Vina has been in the gaming industry and with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) for more than 25 years, starting as a clerk at Casino Filipino Bacolod in 1997.

Before heading the Gaming Licensing and Development Department, or GLDD, in 2022, Vina held numerous roles in customer relations, marketing, administration and records management.

Her background and experience in various aspects of casino administration and operations has enabled her to adopt a collaborative and open communication approach to leadership and management, ensuring stakeholder engagement for more effective and sustainable policy and program implementations.

Marvin S. De la Paz

Presidential Staff Officer VI, Head, Communications Office Integrated Operations Division, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Division

Presidential Staff Officer VI Marvin S. De la Paz is a cum laude graduate of Journalism from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela.

With almost a decade of government service, he has served in various public institutions, including the Presidential Communications Office, the Philippine National Police, and the Dangerous Drugs Board, gaining extensive experience in strategic communications, public information, advocacy, and policy development.

He currently serves as Head of the Communications Office under the Integrated Operations Division of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), where he leads communication initiatives that support the Commission’s operations, public information efforts, and campaign against organized crime and emerging threats.

Andrew W. Scott

Chief Executive Officer, Complete Media Group

Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Inside Asian Gaming

Andrew W. Scott is Vice Chairman and CEO of Inside Asian Gaming (IAG) and CEO of its parent, Complete Media Group (CMG), overseeing one of the most influential gaming media and event platforms worldwide, with a strong Asia-Pacific focus. His career spans high-stakes gambling, regulatory advocacy, and media leadership, giving him rare insight into the global gaming ecosystem.

Born in Australia, Andrew began his professional career in the mid-1980s with a Chartered Accounting firm, preparing accounts and tax returns and working in audit and liquidation, while also frequenting casinos. In 1993 he launched a sports betting business in Vanuatu before returning to Australia as a base from which to travel extensively, visiting over 200 casinos across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. A regular guest on leading Australian programs including Four Corners, Sky News, A Current Affair, Today Tonight, and The Midday Show, Andrew has long commentated on gaming issues and helped shape debate on gambling fairness and regulation.

Relocating to Hong Kong in 2005 and Macau in 2009, Andrew shifted to media. He founded O MEDIA and launched World Gaming, covering Asia’s gaming industry. In 2015 O MEDIA acquired IAG, then an English-only monthly magazine.

As CEO, Andrew transformed IAG into a multi-platform leader: expanding its magazine, growing asgam.com, launching the daily IAG Breakfast Briefing, adding Chinese-language coverage, and building a thriving events business. On 1 January 2020 he was also appointed Vice Chairman. On 1 January 2025, IAG merged with US-based CDC Gaming, both becoming subsidiaries of newly formed CMG, of which Andrew became CEO.

His eclectic career has included roles as accountant, nightclub manager, sports betting operator, educator, high-stakes poker player, poker TV commentator, journalist, and publisher. Today he is a journalist and executive with deep expertise in gaming and leisure across Macau, Asia-Pacific and globally.

Andrew was named 2014 Macau Person of the Year. He is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors, a permanent member of the Macau Gaming Management Association, and former Vice Chairman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Macau. He is also a member of the International Federation of Journalists, the Portuguese and English Press Association of Macau, and the Poker Tournament Directors Association. His network spans Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, and beyond.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Tasmania (with multiple awards) and a Master of Science (International Integrated Resort Management) with honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA from the University of Macau, where his thesis examined why some Asian integrated resorts outperform others.

Andrew has chaired major international conferences, advised governments on gaming policy, and authored numerous works on regulation, investment and innovation. Having been player, advocate, entrepreneur, and executive, he commands industry credibility across many jurisdictions. Based in Macau, and continuing to travel extensively, he connects East and West with pragmatic insight, analytical rigor, and lived experience in a rapidly evolving sector.

Dave Fermin J. Sevilla

Assistant Vice President AML Supervision and Enforcement Dept, PAGCOR

Atty. Dave Fermin J. Sevilla was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2000 and has been with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) since 2002. He currently serves as Assistant Vice President of the PAGCOR Anti-Money Laundering Supervision and Enforcement Department (PASED).

He played a key role in developing PAGCOR’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) supervisory framework in its capacity as an Appropriate Government Agency for the casino sector.

Since 2018, Atty. Sevilla has been part of the Philippine delegation representing the casino sector in international AML/CTF engagements, including plenary meetings and face-to-face discussions with the Asia/Pacific Joint Group and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Through these engagements, he has contributed to the Philippine gaming industry’s efforts to strengthen AML/CFT compliance and support the country’s successful exit from the FATF grey list.

Paulo Da Silva

Regulatory Development Manager, GLI Asia Pacific

Paulo Batalha Da Silva is the Regulatory Development Manager of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), where he oversees the regulatory development business of GLI in the Asia Pacific region. He is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with gaming regulators and government agencies across the APAC region, particularly in Macau, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. In this role, he provides jurisdictional consultation and regulatory advisory services, while also monitoring legislative and regulatory developments to ensure alignment with evolving compliance standards.

Paulo brings over 15 years of industry experience in the gaming and technology sectors, with a proven track record in regulatory affairs, legal compliance, sales, and business development. Prior to joining GLI, he served with APE, Konami, Jumbo, Spintes, IDX Games, Pacific Intellectuals Alliance and Laxino Systems Limited (Macau). He maintained accounts with MGM Macau, Wynn Macau, Sands Group, SJM, Melco, Resorts World Genting, Solaire Resorts, Hann Resorts, Newport World Resorts, and City of Dreams Manila.

Fluent in English and proficient in Portuguese, Cantonese, and Mandarin, Paulo is known for his deep regulatory knowledge, strong industry network, and track record of delivering commercial and compliant solutions across diverse markets.

Atty. Victor Andrew A. Siriban

Attorney III Special Prosecutor of the Legal Division and Visa Hearing Officer, Bureau of Immigration

Atty. Victor Andrew A. Siriban is a graduate of Political Science from the Ateneo de Manila University and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014.

Throughout his government service, he has handled matters involving immigration law, visa applications, deportation proceedings and border-control policies. He previously served as Unit Head of the Deportation and Implementation Unit and the Derogatory Unit of the Bureau of Immigration, Legal Division. He has also served as a lecturer at the Philippine Immigration Academy, where he shared his knowledge and practical experience in Philippine immigration laws, policies and procedures.

He currently serves as Attorney III of the Bureau of Immigration and performs the functions of Special Prosecutor of the Legal Division and Visa Hearing Officer.

Raul P. Villanueva

Senior Vice President Security & Monitoring Sector, PAGCOR

BGen. Raul P. Villanueva (Ret) is a seasoned security and defense professional with over three decades of leadership experience in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the corporate sector.

A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Class of 1990, he further enhanced his expertise through advanced studies in management and counter-terrorism, including a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Philippine Christian University and specialized training at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Israel. He finished also the Project Planning, Management and Development Course at the Asian Institute of Management. He also finished the International Security and Risk Management Course.

Throughout his distinguished military career, he held key leadership and intelligence positions, notably as Commander of the 3^rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Commander, Geospatial Intelligence Group, ISAFP Deputy Commander of Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF NCR), Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to Israel and as Commander of the Communication and Information Services of the AFP.

Transitioning to the corporate sector, he currently serves as Senior Vice President of PAGCOR’s Security and Monitoring Sector where he also serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Housing Committee. He also chairs the Safety and Health Committee of PAGCOR.

Brigadier General Raul P. Villanueva (Ret.) graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1990. His military career spanned for 36 years and held numerous sensitive positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines spending 23 years serving in the Intelligence Community and the rest in the field of Infantry Operations, Communication, Geospatial Technology and Information System.

He is a former Defense and Armed Forces Attache to Israel from 2017 to 2020 and served as Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force NCR. Commander of the Communication Electronics and Information System Services of the AFP.

In 2009, he took up the Command and General Staff Course while completing a Master’s Degree in Management, Major in Public Administration, at Philippine Christian University (PCU). He also took up the Counter-Terrorism Course at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel and the International Security and Risk Management Course.

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