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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According to a 1947 law, gambling halls and casinos are supposed to be illegal in Mexico. However, hundreds of them exist and former President Vincente Fox was given powers by the courts to authorize licensing in order to create revenues through taxes as well as bolster the tourist trade.

Current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador made no secret of his anti-gambling stance when he ran for and won the presidency, and has not personally authorized or issued any new licenses since he took office on December 1, 2018. In September of the next year, he re-affirmed his stance against issuing any new licenses in a gesture that was widely seen as an effort to reassure the Catholic church that he was on its side on the issue.

Casino Opposition Increased After Fire

The church and specifically Cardinal Rogelio Cabrera, head of the Mexican Episcopate, strengthened opposition to casino gambling after about 25 gunmen, purportedly members of the Los Zetas drug cartel stormed the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. The men doused the casino in flammable liquids and lit it on fire trapping over 50 people inside. At least 50 people were killed in the tragedy.

At a recent press conference, the president stated that his government will not only refrain from issuing any new licenses but will also revoke any that may have been granted in the last four years. Mexican presidents are limited to a single six-year term.

At the presser, López Obrador declared he would request a report from the head of the Secretariat for Home Affairs, Adán Augusto López Hernández in order to take control of the current process for issuing licenses.

Prior to leaving office in 2005, the former Secretariat issued more than 750 licenses to gaming parlors across the country.

The president stated in reply to a reporter’s question about licensing and an upcoming casino industry conference: “Casinos should not be opened, we are not giving permission to open casinos. We are not. And I am going to ask the Secretariat for Home Affairs for a report because, if there is a new license, it is canceled, because the instruction is not to deliver any license.”

Licensing Process “Inadequate”?

It’s unclear if López Obrador will follow through on his threat to jerk existing licenses so far into his term. He had earlier asked Olga Sánchez Cordero, a prior Secretary of Home Affairs whether or not licenses issued under the previous administration had been under a lawful process. Obrador has stated in the past the process was “inadequate”.

Some legal scholars have differed on the legislative appendix process used to authorize deviance from earlier laws that specifically outlawed casino operations but in the 2000s many lawmakers were behind efforts to bring casino gambling to major coastal resort hotels. In recent years, some state governors have taken it upon themselves to issue more local licenses.
There is no unified federal framework for casino legislation, anti-money laundering controls, or even a unified tax code across the country. Online gambling is authorized loosely although there are no laws specifically authorizing it.

According to Thompson Reuters Law Guides: “Land-based casinos and online gaming are permitted. In Mexico, there are 36 land-based permit holders that are, or could be, allowed to operate online gaming.”

Source: President says he will revoke all casino licenses granted over the last four years, G3 Newswire, March 20, 2023

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