The trial of the Macau gambling operator, Suncity, advances

The multifunctional computer system of the now-defunct Macau junket operator, Suncity Group, contained data on side bets, its IT vice president, Ali Celestino, has testified before the Court of First Instance.

Celestino and his former boss, Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, are among 21 people charged with illicit gambling, involvement in a criminal syndicate, fraud and money laundering.

The criminal syndicate, allegedly led by Mr. Chau and assisted by other defendants in this high-profile case, caused the Macao SAR government a loss of HK$8.2 billion ($1 billion) in revenue from gambling taxes between March 2013 and March 2021, as well as losses for the city’s gambling operators, according to the official indictment.

Since the trial began, Mr. Chau has denied that he or his company participated in under-the-table gambling. Under-the-table betting, or also known as “side-betting” or “multiplier”, usually refers to a form of gambling in which a formally named bet at the gaming tables of casinos only represents a fraction of the amount of a private bet placed between players and junket operators to avoid levies on gaming revenue.

The casino tycoon testified in court on Monday that the side-betting business “could be” run by Cheong Chi Kin, who he said was not an employee of Suncity. Cheong is the fifth defendant in the case.

But Mr Celestino testified today that when he joined Suncity in 2013 he realized that the group’s multifunctional computer system, called “Rollex”, had data on side bets.

He described the system – which was later renamed and updated “Rollsmary” – as the operator’s “most important” system, as it recorded player data, their volume of rolled chips, hotel room bookings and more.

The upgrade and renaming of the system came as Mr. Cheong complained that he could not access the system, and Suncity’s IT team had created a new system, “Opsman,” for Mr. Cheong, the report said. Mr. Celestino, adding that his team also provided maintenance service for “Opsman”.

Who is Cheong Chi Kin?

The IT chief described Cheong as “Mr. Chau’s business partner” and “a person from the operational department.”

The casino tycoon testified in court on Monday that the side-betting business “could be” run by Cheong Chi Kin, who he said was not an employee of Suncity.

“For a while I also thought he was a Suncity employee but then I found out he wasn’t,” he said, referring to Mr. Cheong. “He brought players to Suncity, but I don’t know if he was involved in under-the-table gambling.”

But he didn’t explicitly say whether “Rollsmary” or “Opsman” had data on side bets.

He also acknowledged in the session that Suncity’s cage teller department staff had once wiped some data from the company’s system before a meeting with Macau’s gaming regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Office (DICJ). . “I thought it was peculiar,” he commented.

Subsequently, the cage department asked him to hold a meeting with the DICJ, a request he declined, he told the court, without specifying the nature of the meeting.

The CIO also noted that he knew nothing about side bets before joining Suncity.

Concern about violations

Part of this high-profile trial also focuses on Suncity’s proxy gambling business, as the criminal syndicate led by Mr. Chau is accused of directing illicit gambling activities, such as online and proxy gambling, at venues. approved game.

Mr. Chau testified on Monday and Tuesday that Suncity did not engage in online gambling, only phone gambling, and that the business had moved to the Philippines from Macau before the city banned gambling by proxy in 2016. .

The tycoon subsequently “transferred” the proxy betting business to businessman Richard Yong Seng Chen, following harsh reports in mainland Chinese media in June of the same year that Suncity was attracting Chinese from China. mainland to bet abroad through proxy betting, the court has heard.

Mr. Yong, a Malaysian businessman, poker player and gambling player, has not been charged in the case.

In relation to the proxy betting business, Celestino today confirmed that Suncity provided technical support to Mr. Yong’s Universal Group (EU) before the business was closed at the end of 2020.

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He acknowledged that Suncity staff helped UE contact customers to follow up after the proxy betting business closed, and told Suncity staff to use phones with unregistered SIM cards to contact the clients.

Asked why he did it, the IT chief said, “I am afraid of breaking national law…since Macau is part of China.”

ICJ Witness

Today’s trial hearing has also shed light on the empire of the once largest junket operator in the city. According to a transcript of WhatsApp messages dated mid-2019 filed in court today, Mr. Chau and Ellute Cheung Yat Ping, the third defendant in the case and deputy director of Suncity’s market planning department, mentioned that the overseas market it represented a third of the company’s income and half of its profits.

The CIO also noted that he knew nothing about side bets before joining Suncity.

Prior to closure in December 2021 following Mr. Chau’s arrest, Suncity had been the city’s largest junket operator in terms of revenue from its lounges here, while also operating casino lounges in the Asia region -Pacific like the Philippines and Cambodia.

It was also known today that a division chief of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Office (DICJ) will testify as a witness in the trial next Thursday (September 29).

The trial will continue in the afternoon, with the continuation of Mr. Celestino’s statement.

Article republished under an agreement with Macau Business to share content. Link to original article:https://www.macaubusiness.com/suncity-trial-court-told-junket-operators-system-had-side-betting-data/