Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, the former boss of the now-defunct Macau junket operator Suncity Group Ltd, will be sentenced on January 18, 2023. Chau, along with 20 other individuals charged with illegal gaming, fraud, and money laundering, will learn their verdicts on the said date, as announced by presiding judge Lou leng Ha.
Chau Maintains Innocence
Chau and his co-defendants allegedly ran an illegal gambling operation involving under-the-table “multiplier” bets from 2013 to 2021. The scheme had allowed Chau and his group to avoid paying approximately HKD8.26 billion (US$1.05 billion) in tax to the Macau government.
The former junket mogul denied the allegations, saying there was no need for Suncity to engage in such illicit operations for financial gains as it was making “huge income” from its legal junket business.
Macau Casinos Seeking Compensation from Chau
Among the plaintiffs in the case are existing casino operators in Macau, including MGM China Holdings Ltd, Wynn Macau Ltd, Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, Sands China Ltd, and SJM Holdings Ltd. The companies claim to have incurred massive revenue losses stemming from the under-the-table betting operations and are seeking millions of US dollars in civil damages.
Chau was arrested by Macau authorities in November 2021 and has been in police detention since. Following Chau’s arrest, Suncity ceased its junket operations across the region.