Macau junket boss jailed for 14 years for HK$1.5 billion illegal gambling offences in VIP rooms

The former boss of Macau’s second biggest casino VIP room operator has been jailed for 14 years in the gambling hub after he was convicted of 34 charges of fraud, illegal gambling and criminal association related to HK$1.5 billion (US$191 million) in junket operations.

Macau media reported Levo Chan Weng-lin, a former chairman and executive director of entertainment firm Tak Chun Group, was among five accused found guilty at Macau’s Court of First Instance on Friday after a five-month trial.

The casino junket boss, who faced 83 charges, was convicted on 24 counts of unauthorised gambling operations in licensed places for running and promoting side betting in VIP rooms set up in various Macau casinos by the company.

Lam Peng-fai, who headed a panel of judges, said the side betting operation was supported by evidence found in Tak Chun’s computers and documents.

Out of 650,000 betting records found in the company’s server, Lam was quoted saying in local media reports, more than 3,400 involved side betting that generated illegal gains of about HK$1.5 billion.

Chan, who has been in custody since he was arrested in January last year, was also convicted on seven charges of fraud as the off-the-record gambling caused losses of revenue for casino owners and the Macau government.

His convictions also included one count of illegal gambling operations, criminal association and a single count of aggravated money laundering.

Four other defendants were jailed for between seven to 11 years for their roles in the promotion and management of side betting operations, such as making multiple bank transfers to conceal the bigger turnover. Four others were acquitted.

The defendants were also ordered to pay the Macau government HK$575 million in unpaid tax revenue, as well as HK$134 million in commission losses to the four casino operators.

They were given 20 days to lodge an appeal.

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Leong Hon-man, who appeared for Chan, told a Macau newspaper outside the court that the defence would study the judgment and discuss it with Chan, but did not say if an appeal would be made.

Chan had denied the charges and maintained that he had not been involved in the day-to-day running of Tak Chun’s VIP rooms.

Junket operators are go-betweens who bring high rollers on all-expenses-paid trips to casinos.

Tak Chun had a huge market share of VIP room operations before Macau’s high-profile prosecution of junket bosses.

The company’s junket operations catered to mostly mainland Chinese high rollers and was second only to Suncity Group, which was owned by disgraced “junket king” Alvin Chau Cheok-wa.

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Chau was jailed for 18 years in January for similar charges connected to unauthorised side betting operations in casino VIP rooms.

Recent controls on junket operations by Macau regulators has further squeezed the lucrative business.

Hong Kong-listed Macau Legend Development announced it was to end its junket operations in January.

Chan’s trial attracted attention from Taiwanese media as he is married to actress Ady An Yi-xuan, a major star from the self-ruled island, who is said to have avoided the media spotlight since he was arrested.