MANILA, Philippines – Two employees of an online casino were placed “under police custody” Thursday for allegedly extending a long time customer P340,000 in online credits without paying for it in cash.

Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, chief of police, said the two employees, Mary Grace Elebado and Lloyd Renoso, would be charged with estafa at the Pasay City prosecutors’ office. He said they were still looking for the customer identified as a certain Hernani Almega.

Police said the online casino was unable to get back the P340,000 the customer allegedly lost in an online game Tuesday afternoon.

Valerio identified the establishment as Winmore Gaming Casino, an online betting establishment on Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.

The casino’s operator, a certain Anda Villota, went to the police Wednesday after discovering that P340,000 in online credits were missing.

Initial investigation showed that on Tuesday afternoon, Almega allegedly asked the two employees to allow him to “load” P340,000 online so he could play in the casino.

“But the employees allegedly allowed the customer to load the amount without paying its cash equivalent,” Valerio said in a phone interview.

When the customer lost, he allegedly promised he would pay the amount by Wednesday, but the customer was unable to come up with the cash.

“This is the first time I encountered this kind of scheme,” Valerio said.