The Star casino resort in Queensland, Australia, is attempting to recover a $30 million debt owed by a high roller gambler from Singapore with a checkered past. Australians don’t have to worry about gambling debts when playing online with sites like PlayAmo Australia where all stakes are paid upfront.
The casino says that Singapore citizen Dr. Wong Yew Choi came to the property in July 2018 and promptly lose millions playing baccarat.
Yew Choi is a famous gambler throughout Asia and had visited Australia to bet big in the past. The casino decided to fly him out on their private jet and gave him $150,000 in casino chips. He then managed to access over $30 million in credit from the casino after he wrote them a check.
The alleges that from late July to early August, Yew Choi lost it all by playing huge baccarat sessions, which saw him run up a $30 million debt.
Will The Casino Be Able To Recover The Debt?
As Yew Choi has no ties to Australia and is a Singapore resident, the casino is unlikely to be able to collect the $30 million. In July 2020, the Singapore court dismissed the gambling operator’s legal case stated that the government is not allowed to help foreign companies recover gambling debts.
The Star casino is not giving up and has opened legal cases in Australia.
Why Won’t The High Roller Pay His Debts?
Yew Choi claims that he will not pay the debt because dealers at the casino made errors which caused him to lose.
He says the mistakes angered him, and he instructed the staff to end the gambling session. He then claims the relationship managers convinced him to keep players. Yew Choi is adamant that the dealer errors would not impact his outstanding casino debts. He feels he was manipulated by VIP managers to keep playing.
The Star casino vehemently denies Yew Choi’s claims and instead counter by insisting that Yew Choi is just being a sore loser who is trying to get out of playing the large debt.
Who Is Wong Yew Choi?
There is not much information about Wong Yew Choi. He appears to be a man of mystery. How exactly he has enough money to gamble for eight figures is the subject of speculation.
Yew Choi was the former director of an online casino known as Celton Manx, which was one of the first online gaming companies to establish itself in the Isle of Man, which has become a hotspot for online gambling operators due to their relaxed betting laws. Celton Manx provides live casino games, including blackjack.
Yew Choi is also involved with an international sports betting company known as SBOBET who focuses on the Asian market. Yew Choi has also worked with Junket and sports betting operator Paul Phua.
