#Suncity

Mass market baccarat continues to dominate the Macau gaming landscape, with figures published by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau showing it contributed MOP$20.51 billion (US$2.54 billion) in gross gaming revenues in the first three months of the year - comprising 58.9% of market-wide GGR. While this was slightly down on the 62.9%…

Shares of Macau casino operators posted gains of between 3% and 5% after official data released by the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China's government revealed that gambling revenue in January nearly doubled. Macau casinos generated MOP11.58 billion ($1.44 billion) in gross revenue in the first month of 2023 to post an increase of 82.5%…

The Macau Daily Times reported that the arrested Macau residents of ages 29 to 66 years old were allegedly part of an illegal online gambling business operated on overseas servers. At a press conference that took place on January 12, the Macau Judiciary Police announced that it had acted together with the Guangdong Province police and together the…

Four casino operators in Macau are seeking damages totaling MOP$135m (US$16.8m) from the defendants in a major illegal VIP gambling case. Former chairman of Tak Chun Group Levo Chan is currently on trial, alongside nine other defendants. MGM China, SJM Resorts, The Venetian Macau, and the Wynn Macau are all seeking the multimillion-dollar payout in…

Good morning. The Victorian gambling watchdog has slammed Crown Resorts with two fines totaling $77.75 million, in what it calls a'warning' to the gambling industry over misconduct. The authority says it is still considering other punitive measures, but has calmed on the possibility of canceling the group's casino license. In Macau, the judge…

The record penalty, the maximum under new NSW laws passed in August, and suspension of Star's Sydney licence by NSW Independent Casino Commission chairman Phillip Crawford on Monday come after Star was found unfit to run the Sydney casino after a humiliating four-month inquiry led by Adam Bell, SC. The outcome echoes the Victorian government's…

The fall of Suncity Group, a junket operator running in Macau, was one of the most debilitating enforcement actions against the regulated gambling industry in the special administrative region. Much of this may have been deserved, as the defendants in the trial have given various accounts, some of which could point to the company coloring around…

The court proceedings against a group of former Suncity Group employees continue with full force after Chinese authorities cracked down on the junket operator uncovering illegal gambling activities, side-betting operations, fraud, and other violations. In the course of the hearings, which have been going on for the past nine days, one more…

Two defendants testified in the matter involving Alvin Chau, but Chau continued denying his involvement saying, "he does not gamble and was not familiar with gambling operations." Along with 20 other defendants, there are 286 criminal cases registered against Chau for allegedly promoting illegal gambling, operating a criminal syndicate, fraud, and…

A well-known Macau gambling boss in China's special administrative region of Macau denied charges including enabling illegal gaming, running a criminal syndicate and money laundering at the start of his trial on Monday. Alvin Chau was chairman of Macau's Suncity junket - which brokers the gambling activity of Chinese high rollers - until December…

A senior executive of Macau junket operator Suncity Group told prosecutors on Wednesday that he and the company were not involved in online gambling, despite text messages of past conversations alluding to the operation of proxy betting in the Philippines. On the third day of the trial of 21 people, including former CEO Alvin Chau, following their…

Alvin Chau, a well-known gambling executive in Macau, denied charges of illegal gaming, money laundering, and running a criminal syndicate during his trial on Monday. arrested on a warrant accusing him of illegal gambling on the Chinese mainland Chau served as the chairman of Macau's Suncity junket, which helps organize activities for Chinese high…

The operators of The Star casino in Sydney chose deception at almost every turn, even in writing to the royal commission-like inquiry appointed to examine whether they were fit to hold a licence. Spoiler: on Tuesday, they were found unsuitable. Although there is a deep stream of misconduct and breathtaking negligence to wade through, it is perhaps…

The head of the NSW Independent Casino Commission, whichcame into force on Monday, has warned NSW casinos that they will not be able to hide from the authority, which will impart "very severe" punishments for wrongdoing. The NICC will have unprecedented powers to monitor casino activities and act against operators who engage in misconduct,…

The Macao SAR government has set a deadline of September 14 for gambling operators to submit bids for new licences, due to begin at the start of 2023. The licences of the six current operators, three U.S.-owned, will expire at the end of December. The Covid pandemic and the resultant restrictions on travel have caused the worst three years in the…

Okada Manila heads up high to resolve ownership Universal Entertainment Corp (UEC) has announced that its motion to reconsider the Status Que Ante Order (SQAO) of the Okada Manila resort is now going to the High Court. Ousted former chairman and founder of UEC, Kazuo Okada, took control of the casino resort in May, after the SQAO was issued - and…

An Australian gambler who lost AUD$950000 at The Star casino in Sydney has gone to court to overturn the ban she was later given, claiming her membership was withdrawn for no reason. Beauty therapist Kim Huyen Tran Nguyen has launched a lawsuit in the New South Wales Supreme court against the casino, alleging that the one-year ban she was handed in…

Sands China is repurposing its VIP salons across its Macau properties The new change is a consequence of recent legislation that in practice eradicates junket rooms Sands China and Las Vegas Sands top executives welcome the new changes as they expect the redeployment of VIP rooms will bring more revenue Sands China has announced it is restructuring…

Macau's government just unveiled the rules for the re-tendering of the region's gambling licenses. There will be several criteria by which the government will decide whether to license a company or not. Today, the Macau government published the rules for the re-tendering of the special administrative region's gambling licenses. The so-called…

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 501 - which represents over 2000 members working in Las Vegas casinos- submitted a public record request regarding the land transaction involving Genting Group and Ao Mio Leong to the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU). According to corporate filings, Mio Leongis one of a four-person…

The Star Casino inquiry is wrapping up after months of testimony about its practices and culture. A period of "deep reflection" is needed at Star Entertainment before the gaming giant is fit to hold a casino licence, an inquiry into its Sydney casino has been told. The NSW gaming regulator inquiry has examined claims the ASX-listed company enabled…

The opening of a five-star hotel and casino complex at the Westside City Project (pictured in an artist's rendering) in Manila, the Philippine capital, remains scheduled for 2024, says Suntrust Home Developers Inc, the property's promoter. "As of December 31, 2021, the construction work of pile cap has been completed while the construction works of…

In its eighth week of hearings, the NSW inquiry into Star's suitability to run its flagship casino in Sydney is investigating how rigorously board directors and senior executives carried out their duties to the company. Star also allowed Suncity to open a secret, unbranded VIP room after telling the media it was ending their relationship. It also…

Good Morning. AGB's recent article on "where did skill-based slots go?" was well received, though more than a few questions were raised that needed answers. In today's Face-to-Face interview, AGB editor Felix Ng speaks to Michael Darley, CEO of skill-based slots supplier Next Gaming about what happened to skill-based slots during the pandemic, and…

Casino operators in Macau, once the world's largest gambling center, are facing serious challenges due to Beijing's decisions to tighten travel rules and clamp down on junkets. Macau's Court of Final Appeal on Monday ruled that operators and junkets organizers were jointly liable for client deposits in nine cases filed by VIP gamblers, who demanded…

China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) says it has made every effort to crack down on illegal cross-border gambling over the past three years, detecting 42000 cases of cross-border gambling between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2022. Together with other economic crimes, a total of RMB190.5 billion (US$28.3 billion) in economic losses were…

Former Star Entertainment chief executive Matt Bekier has admitted to feeling let down by senior management at its Sydney casino, attributing failures in its international VIP business on a "subculture" at the venue. The NSW gaming regulator inquiry is probing the fitness of Star to hold a Sydney casino licence and has so far prompted the…

But while The Star took a holier-than-thou approach to its James Packer-backed rival over the past two years - as three separate state inquiries found Crown unfit to hold casino licences in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth - the evidence heard by the NSW inquiry this past month has shown it was similarly dishonest. The NSW probe, helmed by Adam Bell,…

Alvin Chau's Suncity Group has been forced to shut the VIP rooms it operated with all six of Macao's casino operators. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Getty Images) Alvin Chau was seen as a pillar of the community but now sits in jail HONG KONG -- For years, casinos across the world prized one client type above all others: the Chinese high…

Star Entertainment's chief financial crime officer says she may have shredded a Hong Kong Jockey Club report detailing alleged links of an overseas junket operator to triads, drug trafficking and money laundering, an inquiry has been told. The NSW gaming regulator's inquiry, now in its fourth week, is investigating whether The Star Sydney has been…

An inquiry into The Star Sydney will hear evidence from a Star Entertainment chief financial crime officer as the regular examines whether the gaming venue should keep its casino licence. The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority inquiry into The Star Sydney has so far sparked the resignation of Star CEO Matt Bekier, and prompted calls for a…

Commenting in August 2020, analysts from investment bank JP Morgan predicted that the Macau gambling market would begin its road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-August that year. They estimated that casinos would recuperate 2019 levels of gross gaming revenue (GGR) by Q32021, pointing to the easing of travel restrictions and an…

The boss of Star Entertainment's financial crime unit has been accused of acting as an advocate for the beleaguered gambling giant, at an inquiry examining its fitness to hold a Sydney casino licence. The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority inquiry into The Star Sydney has so far prompted the resignation of Star CEO Matt Bekier, and sparked…

ACMA, or the Australian Communications and Media Authority, is back at it again and it has blocked another six websites that are breaking the country's gambling laws. A total of six new offenders have been blocked for violating the country's Interactive Gambling Act 2001 which prohibits iGaming brands, or their affiliates, from targeting Australian…

CCTV footage from The Star Sydney casino back in 2018 has thrown up some serious concerns about money laundering at the property. The release of the footage came as part of an ongoing royal commission into the casino. junket operator was running its own private gaming salon The video shows a worker for the Macau-based junket operator SunCity…

Macau is tightening the noose on casino regulations in the special administrative region (SAR) as a new rule would now require casino licensees to make sure that they disclose any major financial decision they make to the government. In fact, the SAR government would expect the chief executive to be informed about any significant financial moves…

The Financial Services Bureau in Macau has announced the tax payments from the gaming industry for 2021. Last year, a total of MOP$33.91 billion ($4.22 billion) was paid by operators. This is an increase of 13.8% when compared to the MOP$29.81 billion ($3.73 billion) paid in 2020. While the amount is an increase from the previous year, it is a…

According to data released by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), Macau's casinos secured MOP 7.96 million (USD 990.9M) in December, which accounts for a 1.8% increase in a year-over-year comparison. The full-year tally went up by 43.7% to MOP 86.8 billion (USD10.8B). The overall revenue for 2021 accounts for 29.5% of pre-pandemic…

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501, which represents over 2000 members working in Las Vegas casinos, on Tuesday called for a coordinated U.S. federal investigation into Macau's largest gambling junket operator SunCity Group and its historical relationships with U.S. gaming companies. In separate letters to the U.S. Justice…

A Las Vegas casino workers union has called for a coordinated US federal investigation into former junket operator Suncity and its former business ties with US-linked gaming companies. The public statement was issued by the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 501, which represents over 2000 members, primarily construction workers who…

Las Vegas Sands, the parent group of local gaming concessionaire Sands China, has indicated in an annual report to have terminated agreements with its'three primary gaming promoters' in December 2021. The indication - included in the group's annual report for 2021 - comes at a time of increased regulatory oversight by authorities towards VIP gaming…

Macau Legend Development's 1680, -19.30% share fell as much 30% after Macau media reports of the arrest of its chief executive officer over the weekend, on suspicion of money laundering and illegal gambling including the operation of online casinos. Police said the arrest of the hotel and casino operator's chief executive Chan Weng Lin was directly…

The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced today (Sunday) two people in the junket sector were arrested on Friday for alleged crimes of engaging in illegal gambling activities, running a crime syndicate and money laundering. The authorities did not identify the two suspects, only referring to them as two Macau male residents - one surnamed Chan and aged…

Macau's gaming regulator yesterday said that the number of junkets or gaming promoters nearly halved over the past 12 months and Suncity (1383) is no longer on the list. The total number of licensed casino operators sank to a record low, to 46 this year from 85 in January 2021, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said. Major operators on…

More than 80000 arrests for cross-border gambling were made by the Chinese authorities last year, with over 2200 illegal online gambling platforms shut down in the latest crackdown. The arrests and closures were the result of 17000 separate cases investigated by China's Ministry of Public Security, which also resulted in 1600 illegal payment…

Mass gaming is going to be the big driver of gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macau. This trend already began last year and will become more pronounced as junkets continue to lose their spot. The last quarter of 2021 saw how important the mass-market gaming segment was for the city's GGR, blowing away the VIP input. According to Macau's Gaming…

Mass-market games including slot machines provided 74.3 percent of all Macau's casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the fourth quarter of 2021, at nearly MOP14.18 billion (US$1.77 billion), according to data released on Monday by the city's casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. The contribution of the mass segment was a…

Macau's casino operators are breathing a sigh of relief, as the city outlines amendments to casino regulations that are far better than at first feared. It's a moment of respite after a horrible couple of years. The world's largest gambling hub will offer six casino concessions, the government announced on Friday, but will slash the concession…

VIP gaming promoters, and in particular the ones based in Macau, will "find a way" to serve high-value customers from outside mainland China, says the boss of the newly-revamped Hann Casino Resort in Clark, in the Philippines. "I think junket operators in Macau will find a way to spread out in different jurisdictions" serving players other than…

The year 2022 is likely to be challenging for bricks and mortar casinos in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, due to a combination of factors including the decline of junkets that have for years hosted Chinese gamblers in Macau and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and the ongoing travel restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. That is according to a…

A profit-share deal involving Hong Kong-listed casino junket promoter Rich Goldman Holdings Ltd, that made possible the introduction of gamblers to a VIP room at Solaire Resort and Casino (pictured) in the Philippine capital, Manila, will be mutually cancelled with effect from Saturday (January 1) by the parties involved, said Rich Goldman in a…

Two of the six casino licensees in Macau, Wynn Macau and Melco Resorts, confirmed to have completely cut their ties with junket operators, an article in GGRAsia revealed. The junket sector has been seriously hit after the arrest of Suncity chief executive officer Alvin Chao last month when analysts predicted the detention and the shutdown of…

Casinos in Macau, the world's biggest gaming hub, now face uncertainty amid COVID-19 restrictions and an ongoing Chinese government crackdown on the profitable junket business. The enclave, which heavily relied on this market -by arranging transportation, accommodation and credit to gamble for VIP clients-, now looks to everyday gamblers for relief…

HONG KONG, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Macau's casinos face a bleak short-term outlook after shutting most of their lucrative gaming rooms catering to wealthy gamblers and as COVID-19 travel restrictions prevent the shift to mass-market customers that they will depend on in the future. The former Portuguese colony that is the world's biggest gambling hub in…

Armadillo Studios has signed a new gaming partnership with professional mixed martial arts (MMA) star Amanda Nunes. The company, formed earlier in 2021 and based out of Florida, aims to capture Nunes' successful career by producing a branded slot game for casino players worldwide. The game is slated to release in the second half of 2022, following…

With a mission to lead the gaming industry through the power of people and technology, Everi Digital, a provider of land-based and digital casino gaming content, has announced a partnership with Atlantic Lottery Corporation's (ALC) online casinos. Everi's three-reel mechanical and video slot content will now be available online across the New…

Suncity Group CEO Alvin Chau has been detained by Macao police after Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant over accusations that he and others ran an illegal cross-border gambling syndicate. Photo: AP Suncity Group CEO Alvin Chau has been detained by Macao police after Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant over accusations that he and…

The Macau government has said that jobs of staff working in junket-promoted VIP rooms in the city could not be affected by the suspension of these venues, as those workers are contractually linked to the casino operators. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau and the Labour Affairs Bureau said that…

Several casinos in Macau have reported they are to close VIP rooms run by junket operators, in news that will come as a blow to the local gambling industry. Wynn Macau, an operator with two casinos in Macau, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment, which owns three, have announced their intention to close these VIP rooms by the end of December. The news,…

Two casino resorts in the Philippine capital Manila have confirmed to GGRAsia they no longer have links to junket brand Suncity Group and say respectively that the separation was some time ago; an on-site check at a third casino venue shows that a Suncity-branded room has not been open since early last week. The information comes as all Suncity VIP…

Macao police said on Sunday they had arrested 11 people in an investigation into an illegal gambling and money-laundering syndicate, a day after businessman Alvin Chau, who organizes trips to Asian casinos for big spending gamblers, was questioned at a police station. The police said in a statement that people involved in the case acknowledged the…

Macau's gaming regulator has confirmed Wednesday night that all VIP gaming rooms operated by Suncity Group, a junket operator in Macau, have been closed. Alvin Chau, the now-former head of the junket operator, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly organizing illegal gambling, including online gambling, via the Philippines, China, and other…

Development of Suncity Group's US$1 billion Manila hotel and casino project will continue as planned despite the arrest of Suncity Chairman Alvin Chau this week, according to the group's Philippines subsidiary. In response to queries from the Philippine Stock Exchange, Suntrust Home Developers Inc, which is 51% owned by Suncity, said it "does not…

Macau casino stocks tanked this week after the arrest of 11 junket operators. Alvin Chau, Suncity Group Holdings' CEO, was among those detained. The region's casino stocks were already struggling due to new virus concerns, but the specter of more regulatory crackdowns pushed them lower still. During the'08-'09 financial crisis, Macau casino stocks…

Macau's Suncity casino operator has shut down its VIP rooms following the arrest of CEO Alvin Chau on suspicion of cross-border gambling and money-laundering, Reuters reported on Wednesday, as the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seeks to curb what it sees as a dangerous outflow of capital from mainland China. The move will slash the number of…

Alvin Chau, the CEO of gambling group Suncity Group Holdings Ltd, is the founder of the biggest of Macau's junket operators - outfits that bring in high rollers to play at casinos. He was arrested on Sunday by Macau authorities over alleged links to cross-border gambling. A warrant for his arrest has also been issued in China. Analysts say his…

B efore the pandemic, Macau was the world's most lucrative gaming market in the world. But after nearly two years of outbreaks and lockdowns, which largely closed the borders of the autonomous region belonging to China to visitors, gambling revenues for the last 10 months are still down 70% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Macau casino stocks are…

HONG KONG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Shares of Macau gambling group Suncity Group Holdings Ltd (1383.HK) slumped 40% in resumed trade on Tuesday after its CEO was arrested over alleged links to cross-border gambling. The company said he intends to resign. Alvin Chau, also the founder of Macau's biggest junket operator which brings in high rollers to play…

Shares in Macau's casino operators tumbled on Monday, after the chairman of junket operator Suncity Group was reportedly held by police amid allegations of illegal gambling and money laundering. Alvin Chau was one of 11 people held for questioning, Macau police said Sunday, after authorities in mainland China issued a warrant for his arrest, the…

The new game studio, HITSqwad, has been granted a Remote Gambling Software Licence by the Gambling Commission in the UK. This furthers the company's aims to become a successful provider of jackpot games in core markets worldwide, allowing it to provide online games to operators in the UK market via Playzido in early 2022.HitSqwad is fully compliant…

Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak stated today (Monday) in the Legislative Assembly that the security forces under his office will closely monitor the evolution of gambling-related crimes. "The Judiciary Police will […] improve the functioning of the deployment and inspection mechanism and carry out unannounced raids, with a view to effectively…

The Chinese Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) emphasized today (Monday) that illegal gaming operations in the mainland with'out-of-borders' elements were still highly prevalent and warned for the risks they posed to mainland China's economy and social order. The SPP is the country's Prosecutor General's Office, the highest national agency…

Over 63000 are accused of opening casinos in the first nine months this year: top Chinese prosecutor Guests play slot machines on the gaming floor during the launch of full-scale sports betting at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, Delaware, US. Photo: VCG A total of 63238 individuals in China were accused of illegally opening casinos between…

Arrests come a day after junket mogul Alvin Chau is questioned by police in the special administrative region. Macau police said they had arrested 11 people in an investigation into an illegal gambling and money-laundering syndicate, a day after businessman Alvin Chau, who organises trips to Asian casinos for big-spending gamblers, was questioned…

BEIJING (AP) - Macao police on Saturday detained the head of Macao's biggest junket organizer and others after Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant for them over accusations that they ran an illegal cross-border gambling syndicate. The arrests in the gambling enclave came after prosecutors in Wenzhou, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, on…

Suncity Group's Philippines subsidiary, Suntrust Home Developers Inc, has announced revisions to agreements inked with Megawide Construction Corporation that suggest completion of the group's Manila integrated resort could be delayed until early 2024. According to details filed with the Philippine Securities Exchange on Thursday, Suntrust and…

Listed gaming giant Star Entertainment has been enabling suspected money laundering, organised crime, large-scale fraud and foreign interference within its Australian casinos for years, even though its board was warned its anti-money-laundering controls were failing. Between 2014 and 2021, Star cultivated high-roller gamblers who are allegedly…

Hong Kong's Summit Ascent Holdings has agreed a 9-month extension to the maturity date of a US$122.5 million loan, and subscribed to another US$127.5 million in convertible bonds, to ensure Philippines-based SunTrust Home Developers Inc can continue development work on its hotel-casino project in Manila. According to details filed early Tuesday…

Suntrust Home Developers Inc, a firm involved in the creation of a casino hotel at the Westside City scheme (construction site pictured), in the Philippine capital Manila, confirmed in a Tuesday filing that the board had on Monday approved changing the company's name to Suntrust Resort Holdings Inc. As of August, the casino at Westside City was…

MANILA, Philippines-The local unit of Suncity Group, the world's largest casino junket operator, is reportedly readying cash and properties to reimburse junket players hundreds of millions of pesos in advance deposit placements made just before the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020. In a letter to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.…