FACT CHECK: Pagcor didn’t launch online gaming app, ‘news report’ is AI-edited
Claim: The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) launched an online gaming platform in partnership with a global software developer company.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook ad was posted by a page with over 1,100 followers and has already gained 24,300 likes, 3,200 comments, and 352 shares as of this writing.
The video begins with a supposed news report by ABS-CBN newscaster Karen Davila about the launch of a new online gaming platform, PH888.COM, by Pagcor. The platform is purportedly developed in partnership with a global software company called “Problematic Play.”
The advertisement promotes the platform as a safe gaming app, assuring players they will win the jackpot prize within a week.
The facts: Pagcor has not announced its supposed launch of the gaming app on any of its official channels.
Based on Pagcor’s List of Service Providers and Registered Domains/URLs as of December 18, 2024, PH888.com is not on the list of licensed electronic and offshore gaming platforms.
In a report last July 2024 during a Senate committee hearing, the government-owned and -controlled corporation revealed that it had identified and blocked a total of 5,793 illegal online gaming websites. These included platforms falsely claiming accreditation from the agency and using its logo in their promotional materials.
The agency has also previously said that it is eyeing the launch of its own online gaming platform, casinofilipino.com, in 2024, but there have been no updates as of writing.
AI-manipulated: The supposed news report by Davila is fake. Deepfake detector tool TrueMedia.org labeled the video ad as AI manipulated with a 100% confidence rate in its analyses for detecting deepfake and AI-generated audio.
Similarly, Render.Ai flagged the video’s audio as fake. This assessment is supported by noticeable mismatch between the lip movements of Davila and other individuals featured in the video and the accompanying narration.
Pragmatic, not Problematic: The company logo featured in the latter part of the video belongs to global iGaming provider “Pragmatic Play,” not Problematic Play.
One clip in the ad features an interview with Pragmatic Play’s Irina Cornides where she responds in English, contrary to the Tagalog or Filipino dialogue implied in the video. The original interview was conducted by EGR Global during the International Casino Exhibition 2023 in London.
A search on its website shows that PH888.com is not on the list of games recognized by Pragmatic Play.
Debunked: Rappler has previously fact-checked several AI-manipulated content. In 2024, AI-driven disinformation has become a prominent challenge in the information landscape. (READ: Philippines faces rising AI-driven disinformation).
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– Jerry Yubal Jr./Rappler.com
Jerry Yubal Jr. is a graduate of Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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