Industry
December 3, 2021
Macau Confirms Closure of Suncity VIP Rooms in the City
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 countries. Suncity Grinds to […]
Industry
December 2, 2021
Casinos in Macau Continue to See Sporadic Results
Macau casinos won $844 million from gamblers last month. This is a 0.01% increase over November 2020, but an improvement of 55% over October. However, with Suncity Group announcing it’s shutting down operations, the revenue could see another big drop. Macau Casinos Continue Along Uncertain Path The six Macau-licensed commercial casino operators enjoyed their best […]
Business
December 1, 2021
Alvin Chau Relinquishes Control of Suncity from a Macao Jail Cell
Alvin Chau announced that he was stepping down from his role as CEO of Suncity Group Holdings Limited in Macau. The billionaire made his announcement yesterday while sitting in a Macao jail on charges he ran a cross-border illegal gambling ring through his legal operations. Chau Out at Suncity Chau is facing multiple criminal charges […]
Industry
December 1, 2021
Melco Raises Concerns Over Macau’s Future Following Suncity Debacle
Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd’s Macau subsidiary stated in its third-quarter report that it could face increased risks from “interpretation and enforce” laws relating to gaming. Melco Resorts Finance Ltd is concerned that changes occurring in Macau’s gaming industry could cause issues for the entire market. Macau Gaming in Flux Melco Resorts Finance Ltd stated […]
Business
November 30, 2021
Suncity Denies iGaming Involvement as Alvin Chau Investigation Expands
The saga involving Alvin Chau and Suncity Group, the company that he turned into the largest junket operator in the world, is only getting started. As investigations continue in China and Macau, and possibly elsewhere, there’s no telling how deep the impact will be. For its part, Suncity denies all of the allegations, although convincing […]
Business
November 29, 2021
Suncity Boss Alvin Chau Arrested; Fallout Could Hit All Junkets
Alvin Chau, Suncity’s boss, has been detained in Macau, the world’s richest gambling market. The Wenzhou government has requested Chau’s extradition in order to face a string of criminal charges in Zhejiang. The government claims that Chau orchestrated a cross-border illegal gambling syndicate and warranted issuing an order for his arrest this week. Alvin Chau […]
Business
November 25, 2021
Macau Finds Casino Operators Can be Liable for Junket Partner Debt
On Wednesday, Macau’s Court of Final Appeal upheld a decision that found Wynn Resorts Macau jointly liable for $747,482 debt to a VIP, along with its junket partner, Dore Entertainment. Wynn isn’t satisfied with the outcome and Paulo Martins Chan, a former boss of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ, for its Portuguese acronym), […]
Casino
November 23, 2021
Macau Sees Fewer Casino-Related Frauds in Nine Months of 2021
Macau’s gambling industry seems to be recovering, as attested by the number of casino-related frauds, which has almost caught up to pre-pandemic levels. According to the Office of the Secretary for Security cited by GGRAsia, there have been 164 attempts of casino fraud during the first nine months of the year. The numbers are comparable […]
Industry
November 17, 2021
Macau Authorities Still Struggle to Find a Solution for Casino Concessions
Ho Iat Seng, the chief executive of Macau, has stated that the government will try to re-tender the gaming concessions by June next year, but the option of extending the current terms of those concessions is still open. Ho commented on the situation during a late Tuesday press conference after his 2022 Policy Address in […]
Industry
November 9, 2021
November Starts Slowly for Macau’s Casinos as GGR Gains Little Ground
Macau daily casino gross gambling revenue (GGR), for the first week in November, was up 12% week-on-week. This was supported by significant recovery of visitor volume to the city. However, GGR was still “lighter than expected,” according to brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd on Monday. According to the firm, the average daily rate from November […]