Macau Jails 'junket King' Alvin Chau For 18 Years

Macau, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2023 ) :Macau's former "junket king" Alvin Chau was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 years in jail for running an illegal gambling empire, ending a criminal trial that shocked the casino hub and toppled one of its highest-profile gaming tycoons.

The 48-year-old founder of Suncity Group pioneered the junket industry that brought high rollers from mainland China to Macau, the only place in the country where casinos operate legally.

At its peak during the 2010s, junkets contributed the bulk of gaming revenue for the former Portuguese colony, which boasted a pre-pandemic casino industry bigger than Las Vegas.

Chau's downfall coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping's years-long anti-corruption drive, which has included much closer scrutiny of corrupt officials who might travel to Macau to place bets and launder money.

Prosecutors charged Chau with 289 counts of fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling.

Judge Lou Ieng Ha on Wednesday found Chau guilty of fraud, running a criminal syndicate and operating illegal bets, but acquitted him on the money laundering charge.

Suncity under Chau's leadership "conducted illegal gambling for unlawful gains for a long time", she said in her ruling, and sentenced him to 18 years behind bars.GROUP