Former Macau junket boss Alvin Chau on trial over 200+ charges on illegal gambling, running a criminal syndicate

September 7, 2022 Macau Crime & Legal Industry Updates

Former Suncity Group Holdings’ CEO Alvin Chau appeared in court in Macau on Friday to face more than 200 charges including illegal gambling activities, running a criminal syndicate, money laundering, and fraud.

The former Macau junket tycoon arrived at Macau’s primary court on Friday afternoon in a prison van, as reported by TDM News. Lawyers from casino operators including Sands China, Wynn Macau and MGM China attended the hearing, along with Chau’s family.

Chau stepped down as CEO of Suncity junket in December 2021, after he was arrested for money laundering in November. The arrest came after the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou issued a warrant accusing Chau of operating gambling activities on the mainland.

According to the above-mentioned source, the total value of the illegal gambling syndicate’s bets exceeded HK$824 billion ($105 billion). Chau’s
syndicate
is accused of having swindled casino operators by hiding the revenue and the actual amount wagered, which affected casino revenue and government tax income.

While Chau’s trial was a long-expected development, the court has now been forced to postpone it to September 19, as 11 of the 21 defendants involved in Chau’s case were absent on Friday.

Chau’s Suncity was a major player in Macau until 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, accounting for around 25% of total gaming revenues, industry executives said. Macau casinos generated $36 billion in revenue in 2019.

However, much has changed since then, and the junket industry in the gaming hub has collapsed since Chau’s arrest with all of Suncity’s VIP rooms shuttered last December. Many others folded, hit by poor sentiment and a lack of business due to COVID-related travel restrictions, as reported by Reuters.