Macau’s Casino King Is Dethroned as Beijing Reins In Offshore Gambling

December 22, 2021 Crime & Legal

Arrest of junket boss over alleged illegal gambling syndicate targeting Chinese high-rollers threatens VIP revenue that helped city eclipse Las Vegas, analysts say

For nearly two decades before he was detained by police last month, Alvin Chau ferried Chinese high-rollers to casinos in Macau, bringing tens of billions of dollars into the city as it tore past Las Vegas to become the world’s richest gambling hub.

His meteoric rise from construction worker to Macau’s top money spinner mirrored that of his hometown, where glitzy resorts sprung up after China resumed sovereignty of the former Portuguese colony in 1999 and opened up casinos to foreign investment.

Mr. Chau, 47 years old, controls Sun City Gaming Promotion Co., a junket operator that said it had VIP rooms in the city’s major casinos, including those operated by U.S.-based MGM Resorts International, MGM 6.51% Wynn Resorts Ltd. WYNN 6.84% and Las Vegas Sands Corp. LVS 8.40% Mr. Chau’s lifestyle symbolized the city’s good times—he sponsored motor races, produced movies and posed with celebrities in the society pages.