Suncity Group (太陽城集團) yesterday closed all VIP gaming rooms in Macau casinos, days after its boss, Alvin Chau (周焯華), was detained for allegedly running an illegal cross-border gambling syndicate, local media reports said.
Chau was arrested over the weekend and remanded into custody accused of leading a criminal group, money laundering and illegal gambling, charges that can carry between three and 12 years in jail.
The group told Macau public broadcaster TDM on Tuesday that Suncity’s VIP salons at Galaxy Macau and StarWorld Hotel, two properties of Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (銀河娛樂集團) would close yesterday.
ADJUSTMENTS
The group — Macau’s largest junket operator — said it would undergo “structural adjustments” following the VIP room closure, but denied reports that it had suspended staff salaries, TDM said.
Bloomberg News, citing an anonymous source, reported that at least one-third of Suncity’s Macau workers faced salary suspensions, while staff are blocked from company systems, such as e-mail and chatrooms.
Suncity’s Hong Kong and Macau Web sites were inaccessible yesterday. Trading in the group’s shares in Hong Kong was also suspended yesterday, the second time this week.
Macau’s Labour Affairs Bureau said it had been in contact with Suncity regarding staff arrangements and had not received any complaints from employees, TDM reported yesterday.
EXIT
The group told Hong Kong’s stock exchange late on Monday that Chau intended to resign from the board and the investigation would impact operations.
Prosecutors have accused Chau and 10 other senior executives of setting up an illegal online betting platform in the Philippines and soliciting mainland Chinese customers.
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