The Macau Judiciary Police have arrested five Chinese nationals suspected to be related to a cross-border criminal syndicate. The criminal organization, according to the authorities, uses counterfeit chips in casinos in Macau.

The arrests followed a recent report from a casino in the Cotai area where a customer exchanged fake chips for money. After the staff realized that they had been scammed they referred the matter to the police.

Local authorities immediately launched an investigation into the matter and quickly arrested five men from mainland China at the casino. Aged between 21 and 28, the five arrestees were suspected of being a part of a criminal organization that imports fake chips into Macau. The police are currently on the lookout for three other suspects who might be related to the case.

In addition to arresting the five men, the police were able to seize a whopping 585 fake chips worth approximately $750,000. More than 130 of those were discovered in toilets and taxi compartments near the border and might have been abandoned by other participants in the criminal scheme.

Upon careful inspection, the police concluded that the fake chips were extremely realistic and difficult to differentiate from real ones at first glance.

The Macau authorities believe that they are dealing with a fairly new criminal organization. According to the police, the group is believed to have started its illegal scheme in March.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Macau Seeks to Crack Down on Gambling Crime

Speaking of gambling crime in Macau, the country recently proposed a law that would exempt minor gambling offenders from prosecution, or at least reduce their penalties, if they provide evidence against others.

In addition to exempting whistleblowers from penalties, the new law would allow the police to search the property of potential witnesses or suspects during the night.

Additionally, Macau lawmakers proposed an amendment to the region’s Criminal Procedure Code that would allow it to implement an extension of detention measure. This matter was raised after Alvin Chau, the chairman of the controversial Suncity junket, argued that the detention period of certain individuals in the Suncity case had already expired.

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Five people have been arrested for an alleged attempt to defraud a Canadian casino. According to Ontarian authorities, the people in question were playing a table game at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto.

While officials did not release details about the cheating attempt, they explained that one of the arrestees was a casino dealer who was in cahoots with the players. However, an anonymous person discovered the scheme and contacted the Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB).

The IEB, which is attached to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) was called to investigate the matter on March 18. The investigation eventually led to the arrests of the five people in question. The arrestees included Anagha Varghese, 21, Himanshu Tanwar, 25, Parkh Raheja, 25, Tajveer Kour, 21 and Yakshu Nehra, 23.

The five people were charged with multiple charges, including counts of cheat at play, breach of trust, fraud and theft. They were later released from custody and their cases were handed to prosecutors at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto.

Other Recent Cheating Attempts

Unfortunately, this is not the only time employees and patrons have tried to cheat casino properties. In a recent case in the United States, two employees of Rivers Casino were arrested for alleged participation in a complex cheating conspiracy at a Roulette table.

According to authorities, these included Robin Schnepp, a dealer at the casino, and supervisor Anthony Laush. The two men, according to officials, have aided players win on multiple occasions, resulting in significant winnings.

The cheating occurred with Interblock Roulette where the dealer manually spins the ball in the opposite direction of the wheel. When this manual spinning occurs, the sensors allegedly fail to detect the spinning, allowing players to continue placing bets even after the ball has already landed on a number.

Surveillance footage showed Schnepp spin the ball incorrectly multiple times, after which players would increase their bets after the ball had landed.

Last year, a Brazilian poker professional tried to cheat but was caught and suspended. The issue is that the player was dealt an extra stack of chips at the beginning of the LAPT Mystery KO tournament but did not notify an official, preferring to take advantage of the mistake.

However, another poker player saw him taking out extra chips from his bag and reported the matter, resulting in a suspension.

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Casino operators are often targeted by criminals who attempt to cheat or manipulate the games for their advantage. While some try to cheat, others engage in fraudulent activities such as using fake chips to play. Last year, a massive fraudulent scheme was uncovered in Macau with police authorities seizing nearly 1,000 fake chips. During the police operation, it was uncovered that close to 500 counterfeit casino chips were used at Galaxy Macau Casino.

Now, the Judiciary Police in Macau arrested individuals suspected of being involved in similar activities. Last week, law enforcement was notified by a casino in Cotai City that an inspection uncovered counterfeit casino chips. One of the casino dealers at the venue was conducting a routine check of the chips when they found inconsistencies related to 25 chips that appeared in the bead trays of two gaming tables at once.

This is when the casino uncovered that it was defrauded by a group of individuals who used fake chips. The casino, whose name was not released by the Judiciary Police, found out that the culprits transformed HK$100 ($13) chips into HK$10,000 ($1,300) chips. At least 33 counterfeit casino chips were discovered at the aforementioned casino, causing an estimated loss of HK$1.62 million ($200,000).

Police Arrests Suspects, Continues Investigations

It wasn’t long before suspects were detained in relation to the fraudulent activity. According to the Judiciary Police, four individuals allegedly involved in the activity were detained by the casino’s security guards. Still, the casino identified that more people were involved and notified law enforcement.

Another suspect, believed to be involved in the fraudulent activity was successfully tracked down and detained by the police. All of the detainees are mainland China residents. The five people who were arrested claimed that they acted upon directions given by a higher-ranking member of the criminal group.

Besides the five people arrested, police uncovered that more individuals involved in the fraudulent activity were at large. As a result, three other individuals, labeled as key members of the criminal group, were detained in mainland China through cooperation between the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Zhuhai Criminal Police Detachment.

Overall, eight people allegedly involved in the criminal activity were arrested. Law enforcement confirmed the investigation into the case continues.

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In a bizarre incident at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, a 70-year-old man named Mitchell Graham was apprehended after an altercation over a casino slot machine allegedly resulted in a stabbing with a steak knife.

Graham Faces Legal Consequences After New Year’s Eve Incident

The incident took place on the morning of New Year’s Eve, with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responding to a service call about a battery with a deadly weapon at the Orleans casino on Tropicana Avenue. Graham was taken into custody and is now facing charges of battery and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, reported Fox 5 Vegas.

According to court documents, Graham, who had been gambling at the casino, went to use the restroom after inserting money into a slot machine. Upon his return, he found another individual occupying the seat he had been using. 

Graham confronted the person, insisting he vacate the seat. The dispute escalated when the other man allegedly grabbed the cash voucher from the slot machine and attempted to walk away.

In response, Graham, claiming the money was rightfully his, displayed a 3-4 inch steak knife. The situation intensified, leading to the victim sustaining a superficial cut on his right rib cage. 

Witnesses reported Graham making a stabbing motion, while a female onlooker mentioned Graham’s threat to punch the victim if he did not leave the machine.

Graham was promptly arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, facing charges of battery with a deadly weapon. He is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on January 17.

Graham’s Defense Clashes with Victim’s Account in Casino Stabbing

Investigations revealed differing accounts of the incident. Graham contended that the other man turned into him, resulting in the stabbing, while the victim maintained he was playing a different slot machine, having added $20 to the 50 cents already present.

The victim, who suffered a superficial cut on his rib cage, expressed his upset, stating that he was stabbed for no apparent reason. The surveillance footage was reviewed by police, indicating Graham’s actions during the altercation.

The Orleans Hotel and Casino, known for its vibrant atmosphere, now faces an unexpected episode in its history as legal proceedings unfold in the wake of this unusual confrontation over a casino slot machine.

The Orleans Hotel and Casino, located off the Las Vegas Strip, is a vibrant resort owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation. Boasting a Mardi Gras theme, the facility offers a diverse range of amenities, including a casino, hotel accommodations, entertainment venues, dining options, and recreational features like a bowling alley and spa services.

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In 2022, Japanese Pachinko billionaire and former Steve Wynn associate, then nemesis, Kazuo Okada staged a boardroom raid on his “former” property in the Philippines, Okada Manila. Now a trial court has ordered his arrest on charges of pilfering money from the massive casino complex’s coffers during the time of forced control of the property.

Arrest warrants were issued for Okada along with a dozen other associates of his including most notably Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangc and, Dindo Espeleta for the crime of “qualified theft” according to reports out of Asia.

Regional Trial Court Judge Issued Warrants

Presiding Judge Hon. Regina Paz A. Ramos-Chavez of the Regional Trial Court Branch 274 issued the arrest warrants.

According to reports in Asian gaming media, “Qualified Theft” falls under provisions of Article 310 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, and involves theft in cases of “grave abuse of confidence” and it carries harsher penalties than some other type of theft.

Art. 310. Qualified theft. – The crime of qualified theft shall be punished by the penalties next higher by two degrees than those respectively specified in the next preceding article.

An article from Inside Asia Gaming purports to have received confirmation and more details from Okada Manila representatives that indicate the theft could have been circa Php500 million – a little over US$9m and that the alleged theft involved simply siphoning money from the casino cashier cage.

Motions to suspend or delay the proceedings that led to the issuance of warrants were reportedly denied by the judge even though the accused may have been appealing the decision with the Secretary of the Department of Justice as such an appeal does not hold proceeding in abeyance based on the judge’s interpretation of the country’s National Prosecution Service Rule on Appeal.

Judge Ramos-Chavez determined there was probable cause to issue warrants for all of those accused in the matter stating: “The counter-allegations of the accused, being evidentiary in nature, are best threshed out in a full-blown trial.”

Early last year the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued an order of Status Que Ante Order (SQAO) which, in effect instructed then-current board members to temporarily restore the Tiger Resorts, Leisure and Entertainment Inc (TRLEI) operators board to its status prior to the removal of Okada from the board in 2017.

While the matter was still being considered for litigation and no direct order to relinquish control by a date certain was issued, that was enough for Okada’s associates to mount a raid on the offices and forcibly retake the property on May 31, 2022. About 50 invaders took over the resort including private security guards and some local police officers.

DOJ Ruled Okada Had No Right to Take Forcible Control of Casino

The Department of Justice ruled about three months later that the SQAO was not an imminent order to, nor give Okada the right to retake and control the property by force, and by early September 2022, the ousted board took its chairs again.

Along the way, Okada and others were indicted for “grave coercion” for bodily removing the existing board and indictments were issued. However, potential kidnapping charges were dismissed. Okada flew to the Philippines and turned himself over to authorities when the indictment was issued. He was released on bail the same day. The group pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The TRAL-backed board accused Kazuo Okada’s representatives in July 2022 of pilfering funds from the cashier cage in response to its assets being frozen, according to some reports.

Source: Philippines Court orders arrest of Kazuo Okada, Tonyboy Cojuangco, Dindo Espeleta and associates for qualified theft, Inside Asia Gaming, July 12, 2023

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The latest operation to take place in the country was located in Phuket where 15 people were apprehended after authorities descended on an abandoned shopping center and discovered the suspects participating in illegal gambling operations in the basement of the venue.

Police Continue to Attack Illegal Gambling

Based on the reports by local media outlets, including Thaiger, police received anonymous tips about the operation of a snooker hall that accepted wagers at the address. Police then proceeded to raid the venue and managed to seize playing cards, cash, CCTV camera, computer tech, and other incriminating evidence.

The person who was running the illegal gambling event will now be charged with the more serious crime of hosting unlawful gambling whereas the other 14 suspects will only be charged with participating in the activity at an unlicensed venue.

Efforts to curb illegal gambling have been picking up in Thailand as the country is looking to significantly limit the reach of illegal gambling in the land-based and online sectors. This comes at a time when Thailand is also considering the possibility of hosting casino resorts, similar to the ones that have been already approved and are on track to be built in Japan.

Thailand is presently looking into a report that assessed the feasibility of such projects in the country. According to initial assessments, the country could host up to five such locations. These locations would then feature casinos that could not take more than 5% of the total floor space of the projects.

Casino Resorts on the Mind of Thai Lawmakers

The proposed integrated resorts will feature a range of amenities and tourist attractions, from five-star hotels to spa parlors, to amusement parks, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, business, and meeting spaces, along with zoos, and other amenities that could lead to an increase in business and leisurely tourism.

Thailand has been acting against illegal gambling no matter who the organizers may be. Recently, a high-profile Indian gambling investor was one of the 83 people arrested at a Pattaya hotel. The investor, one Chikoti Praveen Kumar, allegedly was running a casino out of his room at the hotel and has been linked to around $12 million of illegally placed wagers.

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The male victim of the abduction was released with the incident taking place at Okada Manila where he was being held hostage. The perpetrators were aged between 24 and 36 according to local media reports.

Okada Manila Becomes Scene of Abduction

Upon investigating, police found out that the abductors had forced the man into the room because he was unable to repay a PHP500,000 ($9,000) debt. Police were tipped off by the resort. The victim was able to inform a guard about his situation while the abductors were moving him, prompting Okada Manila’s security team to interfere swiftly.

Commenting on the incident as cited by Inquirer, a local media outlet, National Capital Region Police Office chief major general Edgar Allan Okubo said that such crime would not be tolerated and that the police were prepared to act.

“We will work diligently to respond in such similar reports of illegal detention to be able to rescue other possible victims among foreign nationals,” Okubo explained.

The abduction highlights the ongoing problem that many lawmakers, officials and even Chinese diplomats ascribe to the lawless market of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. The industry has reportedly produced the most gambling-related crime, and many have called for it to be shuttered completely.

Among those complaining have been Chinese diplomats who see the industry as harmful to the country’s citizens with many abduction cases reported to originate in the POGOs operations in the Philippines. PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has warned that should these incidents continue, the regulator would not hesitate to suspend the licenses of POGOs and implement broader measures that could affect the industry in its entirety.

POGOs have been a thorn in the side of the new PAGCOR chair who is keen to be seen as a hardliner on crime. Yet, POGOs generate a fair bit of revenue that is injected into the public purse. Without them, it’s not immediately clear how the state would make for the short in revenue.

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